


Ours for the Taking

by sialasto



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-18
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2018-09-25 07:24:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 36,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9809150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sialasto/pseuds/sialasto
Summary: Hermione and Draco become friends through their work at the Ministry. They get together for dinner every Friday night. Bellatrix is released from Azkaban being rehabilitated/on probation. She joins.





	1. Chapter 1

Hermione Granger had learned years ago not to expect any certain outcome from any certain set of events in her life. As far back as her first years in Hogwarts, nothing ever went to plan or as it 'should' have gone for her. There was always something throwing unforeseeable twists and turns into the already unnatural situations she and her friends always found themselves a part of. Although it did all make sense later, at the time it proved frustrating to no end. It was one of the reasons she had always hated her divination classes. Even if she did peer into the future, there was just too much that could and probably would happen before that outcome ever came to fruition. Even now in her adult life she had seen firsthand just how often things turned out differently than she had once planned on. 

She shuddered to herself to think of the things that had happened since graduating from Hogwarts, things for which she had expected such different outcomes. She never understood how circumstances and people could change so quickly. But perhaps they didn't, either. It had been years since then, if only a few. It was still plenty of time, she could attest to that. 

Settling back in at her desk in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, she tidied up the nice stack of papers she'd accumulated and finally stood, stretching after the end of a long day and week. Not everything had changed for the worse for her after she finished retaking her 7th year at Hogwarts. She'd gotten a nice job in the Ministry and finally worked her way to the position she held now. She still had a way to go up, but was happy for the time doing something she enjoyed. She got to see Harry every so often when he was in from Auror work, as well as her newfound friend, someone she hadn't really ever thought she'd have much in common with. 

"Hey. Still joining us tonight?" Draco paused at the edge of Hermione's desk on his way to the coat rack as he did every Friday, with always the same question and same reassurance. "It's alright if you have other plans, the invitation is always open, though."

Hermione smiled up at her friend and nodded, grabbing her things finally and pushing her chair up as she responded. "Of course. I haven't missed a Friday yet, have I? And you know I don't have any other plans. Besides, this is basically the first full meal I get every week," she chuckled and walked out of the office with him, taking her coat down off the rack and carrying it across her arm. "I'll see you at 8."

"8. Yes. But.. uh, the thing we talked about a few weeks ago? Mother should have gotten home with her around midday. I doubt that she joins us, honestly, but we can always go out for dinner if you're uncomfortable at the manor," he offered, shrugging his shoulder a bit, trying to downplay the information.

He'd told Hermione weeks ago that Bellatrix would be being released soon. His father had been among some of the first that the Ministry had attempted to reintegrate into society. They had deemed it a success, for the most part, with the prisoners they had selected. It wasn't their fault, after all, that Lucius had ended up with his family denying to house him during the process after only a few weeks at home. That had been about a year ago, and the Ministry had deemed the new operation such a success that they were now attempting to transform some of their more high-profile inmates into functioning members of society. Or at least submissive enough citizens to live the rest of their lives out of trouble and under the supervision of their families, without costing the Ministry their upkeep. It was amazing how far they would go to save a few galleons.

"It's fine, Draco. While I'm not exactly comfortable with the idea of dining with her, just the fact that she's in the house won't bother me. I can handle it, whatever happens. I know she can't do me any harm." She bade him goodbye once he was satisfied with her answer, leaving to get ready, now with a few more things on her mind.

Draco and Hermione hadn't talked much when she first started in the new department all those months ago. They had remained civil-it seemed silly not to as their differences had all been ended so long ago during their time back at Hogwarts after the war-but she still hadn't thought anything else of him. Eventually, they'd been put on an assignment together and she had learned quite a lot about the man, now recognizing him as such, and had shared a lot about herself as well. They bonded over the similar demons in their troubling paths after the war. 

She learned that Draco had actually decided he'd wanted to be an auror around the same time that Harry and Ron had, but was denied for obvious reasons and affiliations. He was instead given a menial job within the department and told to work his way up. 3 years ago. He had become more patient with the process, at least, after finding a friend in Hermione.

When his father had first returned last year, he had not been pleased with his goals, or the diminishing job the Ministry had given him in the department. Draco had always lived with his father's disappointment, but never imagined him to become physical. Within a month he had to work harder to hide the bruises littering his body than he ever had to at work. Even so, the glamours were harder to keep up in the office, as he had to concentrate on other tasks at the same time. He began to slip, every day arriving home and letting the stress of the constant magic stop draining on him, leaving the bruises to reappear. 

He hadn't heard his mother that day in the hall after getting home from work, nor had he ever seen her wrath so deadly as when she discovered the source of the marks on his skin. As she stormed through the kitchens, screaming Lucius' name with her wand raised, Draco couldn't imagine her doing anything but killing him. He feared losing them both to Azkaban for a moment, before he heard her laughing downstairs and knew she wouldn't let his father get away with his actions so easily. He shivered as it sounded so much like his aunt downstairs and wordlessly tripped the alarms in place for his father's probation. The aurors made quick work of taking the man back to Azkaban. Narcissa finalized everything the following day and he hadn't heard from him since. 

Hermione arrived at Malfoy Manor at 8 sharp, still never one to be late. Draco answered the door and invited her inside, handing her coat off to an elf, a paid elf at Hermione's insistence, and escorted her to the dining room. 

"I'm glad you made it. Mother's been upstairs for most of time I've been home. I haven't even seen her yet myself," he whispered, pouring them each a glass of wine after they made themselves comfortable at the table. "She said it'd just be the two of us tonight. Apparently she needs to reteach Auntie Bella how to brush her hair or something," he joked and smiled over at his guest, glad to see he got a grin out of her. 

"I'm sure they have a lot of catching up to do. Just as we do, apparently. I saw that girl from Mysteries talking to you after we parted ways." She changed the subject swiftly, glad to know that the dark witch wouldn't be dining with them but also not wanting to dwell on thinking about her being just upstairs for too much longer either. She did want to know about Draco's crush, as well. She was pleased to see that she'd gotten the response she wanted as he blushed and attempted to brush it off. 

"She's no one. Not yet, anyway. I don't have to tell you about every single person I talk to, you know." He refocused on his meal, only giving her a few more details about the girl during the remainder of their dinner. 

The two finally retreated to the library as they normally did and decided to enjoy their wine for awhile longer as they chatted.

Meanwhile upstairs, Narcissa sat across from her sister in her newly renovated suite and sighed once again. "I told you, Bella, tomorrow. Just be patient. It's a lot to throw on him all at once. And besides, you need your rest."

Bellatrix huffed at Narcissa's unrelenting attitude. "I just want to see my nephew. I know he's home from work. It's damn well near 11. He's not out. He's not busy. And even if he was, he hasn't seen me in years. I pull rank." 

Narcissa shook her head at her sister's protests and gracelessly sunk down into the bed. "Not tonight. He has company. Guests pull rank."

"I am a guest." Bellatrix retorted, a dull shadow of her signature smirk pulling at her thin lips. 

"You, Bella, are family. Now go to sleep and stop with all this nonsense." She yawned lightly as she continued to argue with her sister, normally already in bed at this time. 

"You're in my bed, Cissa. Is it a girlfriend? A boyfriend? Did he grow his hair out long and you're worried I'll make fun of him?" She pestered, sitting on the other side of the bed. 

"No, no, and Merlin, no." She sighed and sat up, getting out of the bed to leave Bellatrix to herself for the night. "It's just a friend. She's very nice. And she's been good for Draco. Especially after what happened with his father. Go to sleep. And don't go meddling. She has plenty of reason not to like you." She warned the dark witch and finally turned to go after a long day. She wasn't looking forward to her sister finding out just who she had been having over for Friday night dinners these past few months, but she also knew that Bella wanted the best for Draco almost as much as she did. "Goodnight, Bella."

Bellatrix grimaced at the thought of her former brother-in-law and nodded, taking in what Narcissa had said. "I'm sure she's splendid. Goodnight. Leave me to sleep tomorrow." She definitely was going to find out who this little witch was that was cozying up to her nephew, but after so long without a proper bed and sheets, she was going to get a full night of sleep beforehand.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellatrix reunites with her nephew and eventually finds out who his new friend is. She isn't pleased.

Bellatrix finally got the reunion she wanted the next day when Draco returned from a day out shopping. She was sat waiting for him in the sitting room with her sister, smiling upon seeing him. 

"Draco! My, look at you. How have you been?" Bellatrix stood from the couch and walked over to him, cupping his cheeks with a grin. "I was going to come and say hello last night but your mother forbade it. Apparently your new friend isn't fond of me?"

Draco grimaced at the sight of his aunt, her gaunt form and too pale skin alarming him upon first glance. Where he remembered her skirts hugging her curves and her hair spilling over her back, he now saw only too much unneeded fabric and a mess of dry, unkempt curls. He quickly forced his lips into a smile, not wanting to upset the woman in front of him that looked more like a ghost of his aunt than Bella herself. "Good evening, Aunt Bella. I've been well. You look nice." He remembered how she had been during the war, and didn't want to provoke any of her rage now. He did have to live with her, after all. But surely, now, this Bella's differences ran deeper than just her appearance. He looked to his mother as she brought up Hermione, unsure of what all Narcissa had told her already. 

Narcissa stood and made her way to her sister and son, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. "Come now, Bella. I asked you not to meddle. The girl is just a friend. And of no interest to you." 

"I'm not meddling. I'm just curious as to why you won't even let me know who she is," she answered with a shrug, trying to force her way in to Draco's mind just barely but wincing as she tried to do so. 

Narcissa noticed her struggle and pulled Bellatrix away to the couch, sitting down with her. "You can't use Legilimency with the wards in the house. It's a part of your probation. And shame on you for trying it in the first place! Draco has the right to keep things to himself. Besides, the girl doesn't come over every night. She's not here often at all. I'm not discussing it anymore. Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes. You'll be joining us, yes, Bella?" she asked gently. 

Draco watched on in silence as Bellatrix stood and huffed indignantly. "I will take my suppers in my room, thank you. Good night, Cissy. Good night, Draco. It's been wonderful getting to see you."

Narcissa leaned her head back against the couch, pinching the bridge of her nose as Bellatrix stomped out of the room. "That went well, hm?"

Draco sat in the armchair across from her mother's place on the couch and laughed, shaking his head. "At least she's got something to keep her mind on. I'd just hate to see her if she ever finds out." He met his mother's gaze and paused for a moment as he could tell she was thinking. 

Narcissa bit her lip and then laughed along with her son. "She did say she'll be taking her suppers in her room. But you're right. For both their sakes, I hope she stays true to her word. At least on Fridays. I'd better go check on her," she got up from the couch and passed by her son on the way out, patting his shoulder before making her way to her sister upstairs.

xxx

After no incident with the dark witch on Friday night, the rest of the weekend passed by as it usually did for Hermione. She cleaned up her home and cooked for herself, spending her free time reading and gardening, joining Harry for tea whenever he wasn't on a mission. She enjoyed her quiet nights in but was more than ready to get back to work on Monday and ask Draco how his weekend had gone with his new house guest. 

xxx

Monday morning at work, Hermione and Draco had both been pretty busy, not getting a chance to talk before they started their week like they normally did. A new development in an old auror's casework had come up and it had most of the department going back through their files to try and find anything that would help. Lunch finally rolled around and Hermione was extremely glad to put her work aside for an hour and get something to eat. She found Draco rather quickly and they both made their way to an old diner just down the street. 

"I'll be glad when today is over. I don't care for going back through old work that's done and over with," Hermione commented after they had both gotten comfortable in the booth where they were sitting and ordered their food. "But for now, at least tell me what we're both dying to talk about. How has she been?" She leaned forward slightly, intrigued by what Draco might say. She had contemplated not even inquiring about the witch, she wasn't sure how it might settle with her. The woman had put her through a lot, and done even more to her friends and others, but the torture was years ago and she was curious. She figured it wouldn't bother her too badly just to hear about her. 

Draco smiled at his friend's curiosity and shrugged. "She looks like hell, 'Mione. I mean, back during the war she was never really healthy, but Merlin, she's like a ghost now. It's odd. She still acts like her old self for the most part, but there's less bite without her appearance to back her up. And the wards keep her from doing anything harmful, of course. Maybe that's part of the reason why she seems so out of the ordinary too," he explained. 

Hermione nodded as he spoke, trying to imagine the fearsome woman she remembered hovering over her so many years ago reduced to a sight like Draco described.

"She takes her dinners in her room, though. So you shouldn't need to worry about our Fridays. I didn't see much of her after 7 either day. She didn't speak to me much, only staying around mother or to herself in the library." He smiled to the waitress as the young witch sat their food down for them and refilled their drinks, their conversation halted for a moment. Almost everyone in the office had been whispering about him all last week and it hadn't gotten any better today. Most were waiting for the dark witch to snap like his father had. 

"I'm sure she's still readjusting to life out of Azkaban, too," Hermione added, twirling her fork around her fingers for a moment before she started to eat, her head now filled with thoughts about the older woman. "Do you think that she's... I don't know. I didn't expect a full-out change, really. But maybe her views have become more open? Like your mother?" 

"I don't know. We haven't talked about anything like that. And if Mother knows anything, she hasn't told me," Draco frowned at the question. He hated that Hermione may not feel welcome or safe in his home. He didn't know what'd he do if he ended up losing his friend over his aunt. He knew his mother liked Hermione, which was a big step up from the person she used to be, but he also knew that Bellatrix was a different case entirely and that she wouldn't be so easily swayed to be alright with sharing the house with a muggleborn, if only for a few hours every week. "She knows I had a guest over Friday, and that that was why Mother wouldn't let her downstairs. But she doesn't know... well, she doesn't know who you are."

Hermione nodded once again and absentmindedly rubbed her thumb over the scar that still resided on the inside of her arm. "It's alright. I won't let her ruin our Fridays. We can eat at my house if we need to. Or go out. I'm definitely not as good a cook as your elves." 

Chuckling, Draco shook his head. "At least you can cook. I barely know anything, just what I picked up from the lessons you gave me. And I wouldn't say I exactly excelled at those." 

"Excelled? I'm lucky to still have a kitchen after those lessons," she teased, glad to be off the subject of the dark witch at least for the moment. Friday would be hard, but Hermione would do what she had to do to get through the night. She knew no harm would come to her with Draco and Narcissa both there, even if the former death eater did decide to make an appearance. 

xxx

By Wednesday, the office had settled back into it's normal pace. They were all grateful for it, and worked hard for the rest of the week, glad to be back to their normal duties. Friday came quickly and before he knew it, it was time to pack up and head home. He had been a bit nervous all day, thinking about the possible outcomes for the night. But he wasn't too worried, Bellatrix hadn't joined them for dinner all week and he doubted that tonight would be any different. 

"Hey, 'Mione. My place still okay for tonight? We can go out if you'd rather. My treat." Draco waited for her to finish up with her tidying before expecting a response, knowing she'd be ready in just a moment.

Hermione stood and stretched, grabbing her purse and a few folders as she nodded. "Of course it's okay. I'm looking forward to it," she answered and walked with him to the coat rack, taking her own and her umbrella. "8, yeah?" 

"Mmhm. I'll owl you if anything is.. out of the ordinary. But everything should be fine. She didn't join us for dinner last night either," he assured her, knowing it had to be hard to be in the same house as the woman.

"That's good. I'll see you then." Hermione said goodbye and then floo'ed home, the main memory she had with the dark witch prominent in the back of her head.

xxx

She sat on her bed after showering, trying to find something to wear. She normally didn't put that much thought into her attire, usually just throwing on a simple dress or pair of clean slacks or jeans with a nice blouse. Tonight, she opted for a nicer blue dress with a pair of flats she'd just bought a few weeks ago and hadn't had the chance to wear yet. It was nearing time for her to leave when she looked herself over in the mirror, catching a glimpse of her scar in the glass and deciding to add a cardigan over her dress at the last minute, just in case. 

She arrived at Malfoy Manor precisely at 8, smiling at the matron of the home as she opened the door. "Good evening, Narcissa. How have you been?" She greeted her hostess by her first name, knowing she hated being called by Malfoy ever since the incident with Lucius. 

"Very well, Hermione, thank you. It's been nice to have my sister back with us this last week. Draco assures me he's spoken with you about her, though?" She inquires, not wanting to make the girl feel unwelcome. She'd come to enjoy the time Hermione spent in her home. It was good for her son, and she supposed it was good for her as well. Hermione was smart and a good dinner guest, always holding her end of the conversation well. It was a nice difference to the pureblood guests that used to frequent their table. 

"Yes, he has, thank you. I'm sure everything will be just fine." Hermione passed her coat to the elf in the hallway and allowed Narcissa to usher her to the dining room, where Draco was just now sitting down in his own seat. 

"I apologize for my absence last week. I had other matters to attend to, of course," Narcissa explained and smiled knowingly at Hermione as she sat at the head of the table. 

Hermione shook her head and brushed off the apology. "There's no need to apologize, I understand. Oh, how are your peonies? I noticed your gardens when I came in, they're looking very colorful. I'm jealous. I've barely any time to tend to mine during the week." The younger witch's nerves were calming, finally, as they all started to chat and wait for their meal. As long as Bellatrix didn't decide to make a surprise appearance later in the night, which she doubted with Draco's information about how the rest of the week had gone, their Friday would be just like any other. 

"They're doing lovely, actually. Thank you for asking. The entire garden has really turned out well with the magic soil you brought me." She smiled brightly thinking about her garden. The grounds of the Manor never had produced such a bright and diverse array of flora. 

Hermione couldn't help but grin at that, having brought them simple muggle fertilizer. It turned out that even with the spells to help the plants grow, the soil still benefited from having the extra help.

The elves came out soon with their food, placing large portions of each item on their plate. Narcissa nodded to let them know that would be all, picking her napkin up to reposition it. "Oh, yes. Don't forget to send a plate upstairs, Abra," she told the house elf, not thinking anything else of it until she heard her sister's voice coming down the stairs in the next room. 

"Oh, that won't be necessary, Cissy. I've decided to join you tonight. That won't be a problem, will it?" Bellatrix sauntered into the dining room, her robes now tighter once again after making the adjustments earlier in the week. She was cleaner and looked healthier now than she had when she first arrived from Azkaban, but she still had quite a long way to go on her road in physical recovery.

Draco turned quickly in his chair upon hearing his aunt's voice, blocking Hermione from being able to see her fully and keeping his co-worker out of the dark witch's line of sight. 

Narcissa hurriedly stood, her eyes wide. "Bella. I asked you not to-"

"Not to meddle. I'm not meddling. I just wanted to meet your guest. You really thought you needed to keep me up in that room by myself anytime you had company? I don't bite. And I can't do anything else with these bloody wards suffocating my magic. She's in no danger," she reasoned with her sister as Narcissa came closer and made to move her out of the dining room. Bellatrix pulled away from her and stomped. "I'm joining you. That's it. Merlin, how bad could the little witch be?" she asked in a humph before walking inside and spotting her.

She never would forget that mess of bushy brown hair, or the face now looking up at her almost in a daze. "What the fuck are you two playing at? His new friend is Potter's fucking mudblood twit?" Bellatrix asked, looking between her sister and nephew incredulously. "This is fucking rich, Cissa!" 

"Calm down, Bella. The girl is a guest in my home and I will not allow you to treat her with such disrespect. You told me you'd become more tolerant to those not of pure blood." Narcissa went back to her sister's side and reached out to take hold of her arm, wanting to ground her the best she could. She pulled her back into the adjoining room so her screams wouldn't be directed at Hermione or Draco. Even with the distance between them, though, it was still easy for the younger witch and wizard to hear every word.

"Yes! Tolerant! As in I've learned that it's no use to kill them and land myself back in Azkaban! As in that I've come to terms with the fact that they're not going anywhere and there's no longer any point in trying to do anything about it. Not that I wanted to share a table with one! Much less the very one that helped the Potter boy defeat the Dark Lord. And yet here you are, dining with her!" She cried out, pulling away from her sister's grasp and standing upright by herself a few feet away. 

Narcissa shook her head one last time and blocked Bellatrix from moving past her. "So what, Bella? Look at us. Our family was torn to shreds. You've been away for years. All because of him! Hermione helped Draco. When I couldn't, and you couldn't. I didn't know how. I didn't what to do, or say. And she gave him back to me, right as I thought I was going to lose him, too." She whispered now, wanting only her sister to hear the words. "What does hating her kind do for us except tear us away from each other even more? I won't allow it. Not after everything we've already lost. I won't. So you may either join us for dinner or go back to your room. But I will not tolerate you disrespecting the girl again."

Bellatrix slumped slightly against the wall and mulled over her sister's words. She had a point, if only barely. She had only wound up in Azkaban time and time again serving under her lord. And Draco had suffered greatly because of it all, too. She had spent all those years, even joined the cause, to ensure the protection of her family against those that may hurt them. And the cause itself had become the thing that hurt them most. She brushed off her thoughts and stood up fully, shrugging and giving her sister a look of disregard. "Fine. I'll play nice with the mudpet. For Draco's sake. And the sake of dinner. As long as she doesn't test my patience." 

Narcissa recognized what Bella's words meant and knew that she wouldn't be getting anything better out of her. She let out a sigh of relief, as she really didn't want to deal with any conflict between the two witches, before placing a soft kiss on Bellatrix's cheek and hugging her. "Thank you, Bella. Who knows, you may quite like her." 

Bellatrix snorted at her sister's remark and rolled her eyes, pushing Narcissa away after a moment of hugging and then going to make their way back into the dining room. "I highly doubt that, Cissy." 

Hermione and Draco had sat tense and quiet as the two older women fought in the hall next to them. They weren't able to hear everything, but they figured they had come to a resolution when the yelling died down and they came back to the table, an elf hurrying to make Bellatrix a plate. 

Hermione cleared her throat, sitting up a bit straighter. "I've intruded, I'm sorry. I should go. Than-"

"No! You must excuse Bella, I'm very sorry. She hasn't been around guests in quite some time and forgot her manners. Isn't that right, Bellatrix?" Narcissa looked over at her sister pointedly and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, if she wants to go..." Bellatrix shrugged, chuckling softly but sighing at Narcissa's stare. "Yes. I was terribly rude to the mudpup. There's not much social hour in Azkaban," she joked. 

Draco frowned as his mother sighed and Hermione simply looked torn. "Please, Aunt Bella.." 

Bellatrix sat upright and shrugged again. "Yes, okay. I'll play nice." 

"Will you please stay, Hermione?" Draco asked, offering an apologetic smile. "The elves are making chocolate cake for dessert." 

Hermione could hear in Draco's plea that he really wanted her to stay, not just for the sake of dinner in itself but to help him make it through the night with his mother and aunt breathing over his shoulder. 

"Well, I do love chocolate cake," Hermione smiled at her hosts and got comfortable once more in her chair, or as comfortable as she could get with the very same dark witch that had been the source and star of the majority of her nightmares after the war sat right across from her. 

They ate the rest of their dinner mostly in silence and without any other altercations. Narcissa asked them each a question every few minutes, getting a series of similar replies and sarcastic comments from her older sister.

After dessert, Narcissa stood and nudged Bellatrix gently. "It's getting late, Bella. We should go to bed. It's been a long day." 

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow at her sister and looked between her and her son. "What about them?"

"Draco and Hermione usually spend some time in the library before she leaves for the night. We won't bother them," Narcissa said sternly, waiting for Bellatrix to stand up and thankful when she did. 

"I'll join them. I'm not tired. You go on to bed, Cissy, if you're so spent. I'll retire to my own in a few hours." She brushed her sister off effortlessly and sauntered into the library, hoping that it would be enough to get the mudblood to leave.

Hermione frowned and sighed softly once Bellatrix was gone and both Narcissa and Draco began apologizing profusely to her. "No, no. It's alright, really. I didn't expect a warm welcome from her. She actually.. was much more pleasant that I would have imagined, really." She chuckled at her own words and shrugged. 

"You're still welcome to use the library. She shouldn't bother you. She's probably just trying to get you to leave. But your welcome here doesn't cease to exist just because my sister is present." Narcissa assured her and then covered her mouth as she yawned. "Send an elf for me if you need anything. I'll come down in an hour if she's still not in her room."

Draco and Hermione both nodded their thanks to Narcissa and wished her a good night before trailing into the library together, seeing Bellatrix sitting on the opposite end by the fireplace with a book in her lap. 

"Don't be loud, you two. I may decide to read in a moment and you'd best not disturb me," Bellatrix called out to the pair as they entered the room and took their usual seats. 

"Don't worry, Aunt Bella. You won't even be able to eavesdrop we'll be so quiet," Draco called out to her, grinning as his aunt rolled her eyes and opened her book. 

Hermione nudged him and smiled, shaking her head. "Don't provoke her," she warned, unable to help a small chuckle from escaping her lips. "I'm not exactly in the mood for a matching scar on my other arm." She laughed again softly and was surprised to find herself so calm with the former death eater just across the room. The tension she had been feeling all night had melted away for the moment and she relaxed as she sat and chatted with Draco. 

Bellatrix, meanwhile, stole glances in their direction whenever she felt like it. Their incessant giggling and whispering like schoolgirls annoyed her but she was determined not to give up and leave the library empty for them. She wondered for a moment if what Narcissa had told her had been a lie, and her nephew was more than friends with the mudblood. She hadn't remembered her sister telling her about any girl other than this one, but then again she'd never been interested in Draco's love life. Not until now. She had to hand it to the boy, the girl was pretty. No. No, she wasn't. Of course she wasn't, what was she thinking? She was a know-it-all, insufferable brat with a bushy head of hair and an attitude. And delicious screams, if she remembered correctly. 

She yelled at them to be quiet a few times, but instead of Hermione quipping back at her and giving her a reason to lash out at the girl like she wanted, they simply apologized, quieted their voices and went on with their conversations. It drove Bella nearly mad waiting for them to do something wrong. Or just do something. Anything that would make her staying up far later than she pleased in her sister's too warm library worthwhile. But, no. They simply talked until they finally decided that their night was over. Draco stood and offered Hermione his hand, and they started to walk out until Hermione made him pause, gesturing towards her in the corner of the room. 

"Good night, Aunt Bella." Draco called out to her, waving softly. 

"Good night, Madam Black." Hermione called out afterwards, Draco having informed her earlier of the witch's name change.

Draco called Abra to return Hermione's coat and umbrella, smiling before she left. "The library actually went well, no? She didn't even yell at us but those few times to be quiet." He laughed and held Hermione's coat open for her to put it on.

Hermione nodded and placed her arms in the coat. "It did, really. It was odd, even. I've only ever thought of her as this terrible monster that tried to kill me. To see her just sitting and eating dinner. Lounging by the fireplace with a book. It was... just odd." She shrugged as she couldn't think of another word for it. "Thank you for having me over, Draco. I had a wonderful time." 

"I understand. It is odd. Try just living with her day-to-day," he chuckled, giving his friend a hug before she left. "Thank you for coming. Good night. Be careful going home."

"I believe I'll leave that task up to you and Narcissa," she laughed and returned the hug before going. "Good night!"

 

Bellatrix sat in thought for another few minutes after Draco and the girl had left. Why had they told her good night? Draco was making his way to leave, she'd watched after she heard them stand, and the girl stopped him and had him say good night. And then said good night herself. The mudblood was supposed to hate her. It made hating her back much easier. She even bothered to use her correct surname, a breath of fresh air after all the hearings and documents containing Lestrange. 

She pushed herself off the couch and threw the book she'd been reading down on the table nearby, heading to her room with the peculiar witch on her mind. What was it about her that had made Draco and Narcissa both invite her into their home and actually enjoy her company? The whole situation was odd, especially the witch herself. Very odd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the feedback last chapter! Let me know what you think, I'm still open to all ideas and suggestions.


	3. Chapter 3

"I didn't realize it'd actually been a year already, is all. I should have been more prepared for seeing him. I'm sorry, Harry. I've had a lot on my mind recently." Hermione stepped away from her friend's hug, calming more as she saw Draco coming down the corridor to them. 

"What happened? I just got back from lunch with Astoria and you weren't at your desk. Someone said they saw you run off? That you didn't look well?" Draco asked, looking between Hermione and Harry, worried for his friend. 

Harry stepped back and nodded. "You don't need to apologize. I'll go and take care of things if you want, 'Mione. Draco can stay with you until you're ready to get back to work? You can always take the rest of the day, if you want. No one would think anything of it." Harry had long since gotten past the point of letting the fact that Hermione was so close with Draco bother him. He was busy with his new promotions and was glad that she had someone else to turn to ever since the disaster with Ron. He couldn't believe his old friend had actually shown up today. He hadn't expected it, much less thought to warn Hermione about his possible appearance. 

"Of course, Harry. I'll be fine. Thank you, really. I don't know what I would have done had you not been there." She knew he would understand that she meant both a year ago and for her panic attack today, unsure what her life would have came to had she had to deal with Ron alone when it happened. Hermione turned her attention to Draco and hugged him tightly. "He's here. For his auror trials, again. They made him wait a year to retake them and here we are. One year later," she explained to him, shaking her head. "I just don't understand it. How he still has such an effect on me. All it took was to see him walking through the department and I snapped. And when just a few nights ago I dined with Bellatrix Black! The very woman that's haunted my dreams for years. I barely flinched, even when she screamed at us. And Ron doesn't send me a passing glance and I wind up like this, hyperventilating in a hallway." She closed her eyes and leaned further into Draco, hating everything that was going on at the moment. She was eternally thankful for him then, though. She hadn't had Draco in her life until awhile after it had happened, but it was much easier to deal with Ron's reappearance with the support of her new friend now.

Draco wrapped his arms tightly around Hermione, only able to imagine how she must be feeling. He'd be reduced to useless too if his father ever did show up again. "How the bloody hell did he manage that? Even if you never did report him, surely they wouldn't allow him back here after word of his substance abuse got out. They only had to fill in the blanks to see the rest of it. It's disgraceful of them to allow him to retake the trials. Golden trio or not. I'm so sorry, Hermione. But you have to see, too, Ron and Bella are very different. You trusted Ron. Loved him, even. It makes all the betrayal and the hurt that much worse. You have been so strong though, to carry on and face Bellatrix. And you'll do the same with Ron. Maybe not today, but you'll get better. You're Hermione Granger." He smiled, wiping a tear from her cheek. "He can't hurt you anymore. I won't let him. Neither will Potter."

Hermione knew he was right, she was in good hands and Ron couldn't hurt her again. It didn't keep her from running the memories of the last year back through her head, though. To think it'd been so long ago and yet still seemed like a not so distant memory. She did have the good things that had come out of Ron's downfall, though. Her new home, her new job, and of course, her new friend. She'd really gained an entire new life when Ron first failed his auror trials a year before.

xxx

Ron wasn't pleased, to say the least. He had been training and studying as best he knew how. It frustrated him that everything was coming so naturally to Harry. He got the best times in their training, the best response tactics, the best everything. Everyone fawned over the Golden boy, leaving a bigger and bigger shadow for his sidekick to linger in. Even Hermione, whom he had worked so hard to land, barely had time for him with her new dumb job in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, still hung up on those bloody elves. Hermione herself, as far as he was concerned, was a magical creature that he may not ever learn to regulate or control. It drove him mad to come home every day, exhausted from training, and still be expected to listen to her drone on and on about some stupid trolls that were causing trouble. So when he finally got to the end of his training, expecting to go on to auror work and finally fulfill his dreams for himself, he couldn't believe that he hadn't passed the trials. Harry, at the top of their group and him, flunking out. He became reclusive and refused to go out or see his friends, preferring to stay home and drink away his days. After a few weeks, his drinking habits had increased exponentially, usually waking up still drunk from the night before. Hermione had tried to help him, to get him to go see someone, to get him to look for another job. She'd tried to talk to Harry about it, but he was busy with his new work in the field. She understood, she truly didn't have time to spend nursing Ron back to sobriety every night when she got home from work either. Especially when he just wound up the same way the next day. 

The final straw, however, wasn't his cruel behavior while drunk or his drunkenness itself, but when she came home from a late day at the office to find Ron in their bed, fucking a woman she'd never seen before. It had infuriated Hermione, with everything she'd done for the man she had convinced herself she loved during all the time they'd been together. Her anger didn't come from losing Ron, but from the months that she had lost catering to him and their relationship. She had screamed and cursed his name, frightening him into jumping from the bed and sending the woman away. She channeled her anger into sending the bed up in flames, which Ron hurriedly put out the best he could- but not before most of their bed and surrounding furniture was excessively charred. 

Hermione announced that she would be leaving and that she wished the best for him, starting to gather her things from inside their apartment when she first felt his hand clench around her arm. 

"You're not going anywhere, Hermione. I'm not losing you, too." Ron spoke, almost delirious as he pressed Hermione forcefully back up against the wall. Even if he had failed his auror trials, he'd still ended his training much stronger than before. 

Hermione tried her weight against him, trying to get away as her heartbeat quickened in her chest. She glanced to where she'd stored her wand in her pocket for the time being and panicked again when Ron snatched it and threw it to the other side of the room. "Ron, you're hurting me. Let me go. You should have thought about all that before you brought another woman into our home. Before you decided drinking your life away was more worthwhile than our relationship." 

Ron laughed in her face, smirking grossly at her. "You think she was the first one? And that it was the first time with her, even? You're supposed to be the smart one, 'Mione! It's been going on for weeks, and you've been none the wiser." He laughed again and tightened his hold on her, pulling her forward and slamming her back against the wall. "So worried about the fucking trolls everywhere and yet you're nothing but a dumb troll yourself. And to think, I was going to marry you!" 

"I'd have never married you, Ron." Angry tears trailed down Hermione's cheeks as Ron became more physically violent. She could deal with the verbal insults, she had for awhile now, but the physical abuse drove her crazy with fury. In hindsight, part of her was glad she didn't have her wand at that moment, as she wasn't sure what she would have done had she been able to unleash her full wrath on him. Instead, she spat in his face, hoping he'd unhand her or at least fall back and allow her to slip away. 

Ron didn't fall back, and only one hand fell away from her arms, but only to rear back up and strike her hard across the face, sending her body to the ground. Hermione gasped and tried to crawl away from him, but he was on her again in a second, alternating between punching and kneeing her side as hard as he could. She felt her her arm snap as he twisted it back roughly to keep her in place, catching sight of the scar on her arm and laughing. "Mudblood. You are a filthy mudblood, you know. And once I'm done with you, you'll never forget it," he sneered, hitting her a few more times before he was finally satisfied with his assault. He stood and pulled her up with him, throwing her against the wall once more before standing over her, panting and simply staring her down. Ron shook his head, spitting down at her and turning to leave. Hermione used her unbroken arm to drag herself across the room to her wand as soon as he was gone, gasping as she saw the large amount of blood on the floor and covering her body. She quickly sent a patronus to Harry, blacking out with the pain soon after he came to her aid. 

As soon as she was healed, she bought her new house and transferred departments. She'd denied to let Harry report Ron for any of it, fearing his possible backlash. Her new job was mostly to stay close to Harry and the aurors if she needed them, but she soon found she enjoyed the work. All the changes had been good for her but still didn't help quell the new nightmares or the decline in her health after what happened. Harry tried to do what he could, but didn't know how to reach the Hermione he knew when what was left of her was so unrecognizable. She was close to using up the last of her will to go on when she'd been paired with Draco for a mundane assignment and bonded with him, finding him in a similar state. They'd healed together when the thought of healing had seemed impossible to them both.

xxx

She hadn't seen Ron since, never thinking he'd attempt the trials again after the year wait anyone who failed had to go through. "Thank you, Draco. Would you care to take me home? I don't think he saw me earlier, but I don't really want to chance seeing him again."

"Of course, 'Mione. Let's go, I'll help you get your things." Draco helped her straighten herself out and walked with her to her desk, staying by her side as she gathered her things. They each got their coats and quickly left for the day. "Have you had lunch? I'd suggest the manor, but I'm afraid there's simply another demon from your past resting there." 

Hermione chuckled softly at his words and shook her head. It surprised her, but she really didn't mind the thought of being in the same house as Bellatrix at the moment. Maybe it was seeing Ron, or that their dinner night hadn't actually ended too badly, but the fear she'd once felt for the death eater wasn't nearly as strong as it used to be, something she'd only fully realized after Friday. She had different people and things to fear now, after all. 

Malfoy Manor had also become a place where she felt safe, knowing that the grounds were protected with ancient magic and the simple fact of her company always being pleasant. Well, she reasoned two out of three now wasn't such a bad deal. 

"That sounds perfect, actually. We could have lunch in the gardens? It's a beautiful day out. Owl your mother first, though. I don't want to show up unexpectedly. We can go to mine first so I can change and we can wait for her to reply to make sure she doesn't mind a guest." She smiled up at him as they made their way back to their preferred apparition point.

"You know Mother will love to have you. But that's fine, I'll owl her. Let's go." He held his arm out for her, glad to take his friend somewhere she'd feel safer while Potter took care of Ron.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I love hearing everyone's feedback and what you guys think will/should happen next! I'm always open for suggestions :)


	4. Chapter 4

Harry Potter hadn't climbed to his high position in the auror field without making new friends as well. After he left Hermione with Draco, he walked straight to the office of one of his new friends and made a simple request. After explaining the situation, Harry left content in knowing that Ron would never have a job in their department at the Ministry. Everyone naturally loved Hermione and all were impressed by her work ethic. Ron definitely wasn't worth losing her over. 

He left the Ministry with his usual plans to head downtown to the nearest pub. He hadn't actually planned on passing his trials this time around, he knew he wasn't ready for them. He had, though, enjoyed seeing Hermione squirm as she saw him pass by her desk. He'd heard she'd gotten a job here and had to come and see for himself if it was true. He'd been planning on having a little chat with her before leaving or being thrown out, and he grew angry as he saw she was no longer at her desk and it seemed that she had left. He knew a few people's eyes were on him- and he definitely didn't want to run into Harry after what had happened the last time he saw him- so he hurried out of the office, but not before he had the chance to slip an envelope into Hermione's chair to wait for her until she returned to work.

xxx

"Are you sure she said it was alright?" Hermione asked Draco once again before they left, not wanting to show up and intrude on Narcissa or Bellatrix. 

Draco nodded and handed Hermione the letter. "Here, see for yourself. Mother left to go shopping so it's just Bella at the house, but she wrote back and said it was fine as long as we didn't disturb her. And besides, I don't have to ask Bellatrix if I can have company over. She doesn't run the manor, as much as she probably wishes she could." 

"As long as we didn't disturb her and I bathed beforehand? Honestly, Draco, what does she think I do with myself?" she asked and sighed, unable to keep herself from chuckling at the dark witch's terms.

Draco laughed as well and took the letter back. "She's just trying to be mean. She knows that you bathe." He wrote a quick reply to let the elves know to have a lunch ready for two extra people and they left Hermione's home for his own.

xxx

They arrived at Malfoy Manor and made their way to the gardens without incident. Bellatrix was no where to be seen and they both were fine with that. The less that happened for the rest of the day the better.

"I may have been disoriented, but don't think I didn't notice who you'd just gotten back from lunch with." Hermione raised an eyebrow as she started to eat her lunch. They'd chosen one of the seating areas near a nicely growing array of flowers. The food didn't go unnoticed by Hermione, either- a nice light soup that Draco knew was one of her favorites. She really was lucky to have him.

Draco blushed slightly at the question and shook his head. "We just had lunch. You and I have lunch together all the time and we're just friends."

"There's no need to act so defensive, I'm not accusing you of anything. I haven't spoken to her much, but she seems nice. She'd be lucky to have you." Hermione truly was glad that he'd found someone nice to talk to. She knew that she was more or less the only friend he had. Even the other guys in the office hadn't really spoken to him much until they'd started to see Hermione with him.

"I know, I know. She is nice, really nice. She grew up like I did, we used to see each other at functions. It's kind of weird to just now be getting to know each other. It's been nice, though." He hoped Hermione wouldn't ask too many more questions, he really didn't know how he'd answer anything as he'd just told her the extent of what he'd been thinking. He didn't want to get his hopes up with the woman, but he also had enjoyed what time they had spent together. 

"Well, I think it's wonderful. I'd love to properly meet her whenever you feel ready for that." She smiled sincerely and continued eating, commenting on how much she loved the soup. "That is, I think it's wonderful as long as you don't start ditching me on our Friday nights to go and see her instead," she teased. 

"I'd never ditch you!" he retorted and laughed, shaking his head. He stopped abruptly as he heard his aunt making her way through the gardens towards them.

"Is that so? You both had no problem with ditching me for lunch. Honestly, what's the point of sending an owl if you're just going to run off and giggle in the bushes together alone? You didn't even put a request in to the elves for me!" Bellatrix grumbled and gracefully took the seat in between her nephew and his friend at the table. "You know I refuse to speak to them. And they still don't make my plate unless Narcissa or I remind them." 

Hermione chuckled softly at Bellatrix's predicament, imagining her sitting inside at the dinner table not-so-patiently waiting for Draco and her to arrive. She frowned slightly after upon hearing that Bellatrix wouldn't speak to the elves. Did she really think she was that much above them?

"What are you laughing at, Muddy?" Bellatrix turned her attention from Draco to their lunch guest, raising an eyebrow dangerously. "You have no reason to make fun. The bloody elves always make you a fucking plate without having to be told!"

Hermione faltered just momentarily as Bellatrix snapped at her. She normally would just brush off the yelling, but with having seen Ron just a little while earlier, she figured she had good reason to be a bit on edge. "I'm sorry, I just didn't realize you would have actually wanted to dine with us. And as for the elves, I do tend to treat them as equals instead of such lowly creatures they don't deserve to be spoken to."

"I didn't. What I did want, though, was my own lunch to take and eat somewhere by myself. It's still polite to extend an invitation. And I don't not speak to the elves because they're lowly, girl. If you must know, it's because they've sabotaged the taste of my meals ever since I arrived here." Bellatrix didn't know why she was talking to the other witch so much, she'd only really wanted to get Draco to tell the elves to bring her something out. The soup they were having was even one of her new favorites.

Draco laughed and nodded to Hermione. "She believes that the elves go through the trouble of cooking all her meals separate, without seasoning and everything so that they're bland."

Hermione was pleased to hear that the dark witch's refusal to speak with the elves wasn't based on their nature, even if she was accusing them of giving her subpar meals on purpose. She still was unsure about why Bellatrix may think such a thing.

"Have you considered that it may just be that you're unable to fully taste them, Madam Black?" Hermione dared to ask, knowing that even with the recent improvements Azkaban had to be terrible for one's health, both mentally and physically. "I don't mean to pry, but surely the Ministry assessed your health when you were released? I'm sure you were exposed to plenty of conditions that could have resulted in hypogeusia. Reduced taste." Hermione tread carefully as she talked to Bellatrix. She'd never spoken to the other woman this much and wasn't really sure how she would respond. She glanced over to Draco, who simply seemed amused at the fact that they were even socializing with each other at all.

"Assessed my health, muddy? Oh, Draco, this one's funny!" Bellatrix laughed, leaning back slightly for effect. "You think the Ministry gave a fuck about my health? They saw I was still kicking and that was a good enough assessment for them. And don't even think you know the conditions of that hell. You haven't the slightest idea." With that, Bellatrix huffed and stood from the table. "Draco, call an elf and tell them to send soup to my room. I'll see you at dinner." She turned and walked away, leaving Hermione and Draco to stare at each other until she was out of earshot. 

"Has she always been that..." Hermione trailed off, unsure of how to describe the older woman. 

Draco called for Abra and let her know Bellatrix's request before finishing Hermione's question for her. "Kooky? On her good days, yes. From what I remember, it was always either that or murderous. You can guess what I preferred." He chuckled and then stopped eating for a moment, playing with his soup as he thought. "Do you really think she could be ill? From Azkaban? I mean, of course there's the mental torment she went through. But I thought that everything else would just fix itself after she started eating and bathing regularly again."

Hermione sighed at his question, touched by his concern for the woman and a bit surprised that she empathized with her as well. "I do, yes. It's not uncommon at all to need extra treatment for prisoners to be brought back to health. Even if they are getting all the food and things they need again. I wouldn't mind to put in a word at the Ministry if she was alright with it. Let them know she's doing well but that she needs further treatment to fully regain her health. They shouldn't be allowed to release sick people without at least telling them what they need to get better."

Draco agreed to talk to his aunt about it and thanked Hermione for the offer. He wanted to do what he could to make sure Bellatrix was healthy. She was some of the only family he had left, even if she was crazy. 

xxx

Hermione had left about an hour earlier. Draco had urged that he should come with her, but he'd let her go alone after her insistence that Harry would be over as soon as work ended for tea and to check on her, and that she'd owl him immediately if she needed anything at all or felt unsafe. He didn't want to chance Ron trying anything. 

Bellatrix found Draco in the library after she had finished her soup. She was glad the girl was gone but also a bit disappointed at the lack of further opportunities to yell at her. She sat across from her nephew and waved as he looked up from the book he was reading, something about the effects of malnutrition on a magical body. 

"How was your soup?" he asked her, not enjoying the odd silence that she let hang between them. 

"Eh. Any idea when your mother will be home? She's going to have to do something about those bloody elves. The soup was fine when I had it last week. They've even gotten it to smell the same as the good stuff they served you and the mudblood." She nodded definitively after she finished citing her case against the house elves, sure now that he'd see the difference between how they cooked for her and how they cooked for the rest of them. 

"I don't know. Soon, probably. But you don't need to go and complain to Mother about the elves. /Hermione/," he corrected her before going on, "was right about the malnutrition being able to cause the lack of taste. She offered to help, you know. She completed some training as a healer before she joined the Ministry. She's got some pull there too. She could get you the treatments you need, Aunt Bella. Actually help you get healthy again." He finished talking and simply remained quiet, giving his aunt time to process what he'd said and hopefully take the suggestion well. "I don't want you to stay ill." 

Bellatrix sat in silence as she listened, staring at the bookcase behind Draco as she thought. Why in hell had the girl offered to help her? She figured that maybe she wanted to make Draco happy and agreed to ask around. He did say she had offered, though. Not that he had asked her. She knew she was sick, that was easy to tell. She hadn't seen it as that big of a deal, believing she'd regain her strength and more of her health as she got used to living a somewhat normal life again. She hated to admit it, but idea of a treatment to fast track the process did intrigue her. She decided she'd let the girl ring in a few favors. She was one of the main reasons she'd ended up in Azkaban in the first place, after all.

"The girl can do as she pleases. It's not like I can stop her, now is it? If the dumb Ministry decides to do something about it, so be it. Either way, stop reading about bloody malnutrition and quit your worrying about me. Understood?" She grabbed the book from Draco and tucked it under her arm instead. 

"Of course. Thank you, Aunt Bella." He smiled and stood up, having to stop himself before he instinctively went in for a hug. He patted his aunt's shoulder instead and then leaned in and kissed her cheek for good measure. 

Bellatrix smiled at him and chuckled, turning to walk back up to her room. "Sap." She called out back over her shoulder, teasing him. She settled in in her personal library a bit later for some light reading on the short and long term effects of and treatments for malnutrition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait for this chapter. Had class and then worked everyday. Thanks to everyone that's reviewing! I love reading them all :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for all the reviews! I didn't have time to respond to them all but if you to message me, I'll respond to all of those :) Enjoy

Hermione was back to work the next day, ready to put the previous day's events behind her. She'd felt much better after spending the afternoon with Draco and talking with Harry in the evening. She had also pulled a few strings to get Bellatrix in the next day for a checkup with a healer. She'd owled Draco early in the morning and he was set to bring her in around noon, when most of their other coworkers would be out on their lunch breaks. Harry had insisted on picking her up for work, escorting her right up to her desk to make sure nothing odd was going on as an after effect of Ron's visit. Satisfied after Hermione's extensive reassurance, he left her at her desk and went on to his own division. 

xxx

Hermione quickly sat her things down and pulled out her chair. She knew she had quite a bit of work to get done now, missing the last part of the day yesterday and with having to use a few hours later to help Draco keep Bellatrix contained while she was in the office. In her rush to get started with her work, she didn't notice the dusty envelope that fell from her chair to the ground as she sat down. Instead, she began her day like normal aside from the small thought of Ron in the back of her mind. As much as she had assured Harry this morning that she was fine, it still bothered her that the man was keeping tabs on her. 

xxx

Before she knew it, she heard the sound of a now familiar voice ringing out down the hall. 

"They're bloody mistaken if they think they're going to get me to strip down and get prodded, that's for damn sure. Honestly, Draco. I thought they'd run some tests. Not give me a physical like a child. I'd never have come had you told me earlier." Bellatrix huffed, her heeled boots clicking against the tile of the floor as she and Draco continued down the hall. 

Hermione smiled softly as Draco and his aunt rounded the corner into their corridor of offices. "Good afternoon, Draco. Madam Black." She tried to hide her amusement at the look on Draco's face, the defeat in his eyes making it quite clear that he'd had to listen to Bellatrix's complaining all morning. 

"Hermione, thank Merlin. Please tell Bella that the healer won't make her strip down so they can poke at her." He pleaded to his friend, wanting nothing more than some peace and quiet away from his aunt. 

Hermione frowned slightly, knowing it must be hard for the dark witch to submit herself to any kind of examination. It made her wonder if she'd ever been to a healer over the last few decades. She doubted it. The thought was definitely enough to make her understand why Bellatrix may have some concerns. "Of course they won't. It will be similar to a routine exam, except they'll already have the knowledge of what they should be looking for. So no, no poking or prodding." She assured the dark witch with a soft but sure nod of her head, moving to stand up as Bellatrix seemed content with her answer. She sighed as a few papers on her desk fell to the ground. As she bent to retrieve them, she noticed a small envelope laying beside one of the feet of her desk. She picked it up, thinking it must have fallen from one of her stacks of paperwork. Seeing it unopened, she brushed some of the dust off and started to open it.

Draco had walked off to get something from his own desk not far away, when he heard Hermione gasp. The sound of it chilled him deep into his soul, immediately thinking the worst. He turned quickly to see a flash of familiar dark magic soaring away from his friend and straight for him. He froze in place, his fingers twitching for his wand but not being able to find it as the memories of so long ago raced to the forefront of his mind. Bellatrix acted much more quickly, aiming her wand immediately and cursing loudly as it failed to do as she needed it to, the restrictions the Ministry had placed on it once again making it barely more than useless. 

Hermione shook her head and lifted her own wand, but it was far too late to do anything as Bellatrix had already hurled herself in front of the burst of magic. It seemed to attach itself to her, ripping at her clothes and turning her face even paler than normal as it did its damage. Hermione and Draco both ran forward to the dark witch, casting spell after spell to minimize the effects of the magic, getting it to pucker out after a few moments. 

Bellatrix lay breathless in the floor of the office, blood spilling from a gash in her side and her arm laying twisted against her body, her face and chest littered with small cuts and scratches. Hermione set to work quickly, her reflex and skill taking over in mending what she could as tears poured from her eyes. She first set to work on stopping the blood, ripping Bellatrix's dress away from her body as gently as she could, pulling at the laces of her corset so it would fall away. One hand set firmly on Bella's side as it held the wound, the other holding her wand and carefully stitching it back together the best she could. She finally managed to speak, able to say enough to yell at Draco and knock him out of his daze. "Draco, GO! Find Harry, find anyone. She needs more than what I can do." 

Draco sped off in search of someone, anyone, to help his aunt. He hadn't had time to process much, except that Hermione had been fiddling with some mail when suddenly a spark of old dark magic decided it wanted him dead. He couldn't believe Bellatrix had stepped in front of it. The woman really was full of surprises. 

He managed to find Harry and a group of other aurors and rushed them to where Hermione was still tending to Bellatrix. The younger witch was a bit more pulled together as she'd gotten Bella's wound to stop bleeding and had set her arm. The only major thing to fix now was the fact that Bellatrix was much more responsive as well. She had become an expert at channeling her pain away into other places with her past, but still couldn't prevent a wince as Hermione finished with her arm. 

"Don't you look like a wreck," Bella teased the other witch, noticing her splotchy eyes and trembling body. "If anyone should be crying, it's me, you know. I did just take the blow of an impressive old curse." She tried a smirk, but turned out more of a grimace as Hermione fixed another one of her broken bones. "Speaking of which, why was it aimed for Draco? Who here would have set something like that up for him? Give me their name, mudblood. Or I'll end you along with them." She sneered and pushed Hermione's hands away from her, sitting up and wincing horribly.

Draco rushed to Bella's side and tried to get her to stay still, finding the task surprisingly still difficult even with her injuries. He explained the situation to his aunt, all about the incident the day before with Ron and that he had most likely planted the envelope the day before when he had shown up and that the curse must have went wrong and aimed for him instead of Hermione. 

Bellatrix finally understood what had happened, recognizing the spell at last. "No, a curse of this caliber doesn't mess up, love. It's aim was true, and it would have hit you had I not stepped in. You were the true target, not the mudblood. Curses like this are...ah.." She winced and held her side, a small area starting to bleed once again, but less intensely as before. Her vision cleared for a moment before the pain set in again, her gaze moving to behind Hermione and finally recognizing the other people in the room. "/Potter/." She growled and forced herself more upright, hating to look weak in front of the boy that had caused the main part of her undoing. More of her wound reopened and Hermione placed a hand closer to her. 

"You're making it worse." Hermione warned her gently, waving her wand to clear away the fresh blood. 

Draco frowned as he continued to take in the state of his aunt, but needed her to confirm his suspicions that Ron had targeted him with the curse. "Go on, Aunt Bella. What does it do?" 

Harry spoke up before Bellatrix had the opportunity. "I've read about something like this. Ron knew we had protections and charms on Hermione so he couldn't hurt her. That's why he didn't make her the target. It's mostly used in cases like that. Instead, the curse is prepared and sealed in something and makes its aim for whomever the real target cares for most in the area that it's opened. He dropped it in the office and it targeted you." Harry explained and looked to Bellatrix to see if that had been what she was going to say.

Bellatrix simply nodded and leaned back slowly towards the floor again, the proper healers finally arriving and taking over in her care. She was given a strong sedative soon after they started their work, causing her to slump to the side as she passed out. 

Hermione rested her hand on the dark witch's side as she was forced asleep, tears of pain and anger alike spilling from her eyes again. "And Bellatrix now has to pay for it. This is because of me. It's all my fault. I've put you all in danger. If he'd do something like this, there's no telling what he'll do next. I'm so, so sorry, Draco. Harry. I'm so sorry." She stood and wrapped her arms around herself, a sob wracking over her body. 

Draco and Harry both moved quickly to her and each hugged her tightly. Draco squeezed her close and shook his head. "Don't be sorry, Hermione. This isn't your fault. This is all Ron. And trust me, he'll pay for what he did."

Harry nodded and kissed Hermione's head. "The other aurors and I will see to that. I promise. You're not to blame here, Mione. Not in the slightest. You and Draco go home, go with Lestrange. Make sure she's looked after. At least this way she'll get her checkup." Harry sighed softly, hearing Hermione whisper the words "Black. It's Black again. She changed it back." Harry nodded at the correction, deciding not to mention it. He left afterwards and went to begin the investigation with the other aurors, wanting to waste no time in giving Ron what he deserved. He blamed himself for a lot of it, he should have been there for his friend the first time and he should have been able to protect her from him now. He knew she depended on Draco for a lot these days, and was doubtful that he would have really been able to help her had anything happened to him. Especially when she thought it was her own fault. He was just relieved it hadn't come to that. Surprisingly, he had Bellatrix Black to thank for that.

xxxx

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I love reading your reviews, so as always feel free to leave any comments or suggestions!


	6. Chapter 6

"Three days, Draco. It's been three days. And she's still not up for longer than just enough time to eat her soup and take her potions." Hermione paced back and forth down the hall outside of Draco's chambers. She'd taken the guest room in the same wing of the manor and had sought Draco out to voice her worries yet again. 

"The healers told us, Mione. It should take a few days to get her back up and going again. It takes time for the potions to counteract what hit her. The curse wasn't just some joke. She's just taking her time to heal." Draco yawned as he leaned back against the wall and slumped down to sit on the floor. 

He still wasn't quite used to Hermione worrying so much about Bellatrix. He hadn't thought much of it when she'd volunteered to look after his aunt until she fully regained her health. He definitely hadn't expected this. His friend had spent the last three days in the manor, doing her Ministry work at home and then focusing solely on Bellatrix's health and researching what curse Ron had used. He couldn't really blame her, with Ron still on the loose and the aurors no closer to finding him. He knew she feared for his and Harry's safety as well. She'd practically begged them to stay home and let the more experienced aurors do their jobs until Ron was in custody. Neither could justify the time off though, especially with their friend in such danger. 

"I always thought about something like this happening, you know. In the end, maybe." Hermione stopped her pacing and sat down beside Draco, resting her head on his shoulder. "That she'd be hurt, and my own pain would lessen. Or that she'd die, and my scar would fade away and I wouldn't have to be afraid of her anymore. But now, she is hurt and she could die. And all I feel is just... bad. There's no peace. Only more turmoil. I'm sick to my stomach worrying for her, Draco. Because I caused this, I'm the reason for it. I never wanted anyone to get hurt because of what happened between Ron and me. Even Bellatrix." 

Draco wrapped his arm around Hermione and hugged her against his side. He hated hearing her talk like this, reminiscing about the war and blaming herself for their current troubles. "You're not the reason for it. You didn't curse Bella. Ron did. He's the only one to blame here. You have no reason to be worrying so much and working yourself to death. Bella will be fine. I've seen her survive much worse, trust me. She's getting better, slowly. She couldn't be under better care." He yawned once more, unable to keep his eyes completely open even as he spoke with Hermione. "Come on, let's go to bed. I've got to be up for work in the morning. And you need some rest too. Try and sleep in, okay?" he urged her, knowing her new routine of waking up at dawn and not resting again until late in the night wasn't good for her. He helped her up and walked her down the hall to her room. "I'll have Mother check on Bella in the morning and give her her medicine. Sleep a bit longer, okay? You have to look after yourself, too."

Hermione appeased Draco with a series of nods and reassurances that she'd sleep in while knowing that she had no intent to actually do so. She was grateful to be able to stay over at the manor. Her own home couldn't hold a candle to the amount of ancient wards and protections that were placed on the grounds. She still found herself unable to sleep, though. After she was sure Draco had had enough time to make his way back to his own bedroom, she found her slippers and robe and quietly tiptoed out her door and to the other side of the manor where Bella's room was located. She slipped inside and took her seat in the corner of the room across from Bellatrix's bed, drifting off after just a few minutes.

xxx

Hermione woke the next morning to the raspy sound of a voice that clearly hadn't been used in awhile. 

"You at least could have cleaned yourself up a bit had you planned on being the first thing I saw after I woke up from getting blasted by dark magic," Bella teased, smirking in Hermione's direction. "Really, muddy, you look a fright."

Hermione nearly fell out of her chair as she heard Bella, awake and seemingly in full control of her responses. "Merlin, you're awake." She managed to spit out, sitting up and fixing her pajamas, running a hand through her hair to tame it as she processed Bella's words. 

Bellatrix rolled her eyes and forced herself to a more upright position through gritted teeth, the tender skin of her side where the gash had been aching in protest at the movement. "You really thought some silly old curse would actually be the thing to put me out?" 

"I... I wasn't sure. After three days of minimal response from someone you start to worry," Hermione countered and immediately grabbed her wand. "I'm your assigned healer to assess your health after the accident. I need to check what we couldn't get to while you were unresponsive." She explained and sent an elf for Narcissa, as Draco had most likely already left for work and she knew that the older witch's sister was probably the only one more worried about her than she was. 

"Three days?" She asked and bit her lip. "Are you sure? It's really been... Oh well, I'm just fine, thank you. You won't need to run any tests. The damned Ministry will have to do with just knowing whatever it is you tell them from this point. It's shameful that they let anything like that even make it through the doors and that close to killing one of their employees. Your scumbag of an ex-boyfriend never should have been let inside. But, oh, no. They'll let anyone in. Fuck, they let me in. I really can't say much after that." She sighed softly, out of breath and a bit tired from all the talking she was doing. 

"I still need to run the tests, Madam Black. Not for the Ministry, but to guarantee your own health. The curse leaves pieces of itself inside you for quite some time. With the potions you've been given already, most of it has been reversed. But what had already infected you.." Hermione was cut off abruptly as Bellatrix waved a hand at her to hush as she had heard enough and Narcissa had just burst through the door, a wave of relief radiating off her.

"I know good and well what the curse does, I'll be fine. Leave me to deal with the consequences on my own. It's better this way. Even you can see that nothing good comes from me trying to take shortcuts." Bellatrix explained quickly and offered her sister a small smile. 

Narcissa thanked Hermione profusely for all her help. She wasn't convinced that had the Ministry assigned a random healer to Bellatrix that she would have gotten all the care she required. Most wouldn't have bothered with making sure she woke up for water and soup throughout the day, she was sure. Hermione had done everything she could have, though, and for that Narcissa couldn't thank her enough. Bella was one of the only people she had left in her life, a very small group that was starting to include Hermione more and more. 

Bellatrix indulged her sister for a moment to get her to calm down, letting Narcissa hug her and pull the blankets back up around her. 

Hermione frowned as Bellatrix acted as if she no longer needed any help, and decided to take the low road this once. "Narcissa, Madam Black's condition has improved, but now that she's awake she does need the other tests run to see what else we need to do. There may be something we missed while she was asleep that could turn up now that she's responsive." She bit her lip and waited for the witch to answer, knowing that Bella would most likely go through with them if Narcissa urged her to. 

Bellatrix's jaw dropped slightly as Hermione went behind her back to get her to run the tests. "I'm sitting right here! And Cissa does not have a say in these matters. Whatever you may think, she can't just bat her eyelashes and have me succumb to her will. I am very capable of making my own decisions. And I have decided that I will not have any more tests run on me. Merlin bloody knows how much you've probably been prodding at me in my sleep!" 

Narcissa stood up fully once again and commanded the attention of the room. "Bellatrix! That is enough. Hermione is your assigned healer and you are her patient. If she says you need more tests run, you'd be stupid not to have them done. Having help when you're hurt is not taking a shortcut. It's taking care of yourself. Please, Bella. It's just some tests. Then you can go back to resting and not have to worry with it anymore." Narcissa sat back on the edge of her sister's bed and took her hand in her own. 

Bellatrix rolled her eyes dramatically and huffed, pulling her hand away from her sister. "Fine! She can have 20 minutes to run all the tests she wants. After that, I'm not to be bothered with this again. Is that understood?" 

Narcissa grinned and nodded as she stood up once again. "Of course, of course. We'll leave you alone after they're done. But you must take the potions she prescribes you, too," she chimed in before making her way out of the room. "Thank you, Bella. And you, Hermione."

xxx

After Narcissa had left them alone, Hermione wasted no time in starting on the tests. She moved Bellatrix's blankets aside and ran her wand over her body, hovering for a minute over where the worst of her wound had been. "Your wound site looks much better. But I'm still getting a lot of traces of residue along your body."

"And you will, until I finish whatever round of potions you have me on and they run their course. I've seen this spell in use before. It's ancient. And powerful. It'd have killed Draco had it gotten to him." The dark witch sighed and continued to eye Hermione as she worked.

Hermione's hand faltered as she heard Bellatrix speak of what could have happened. "Har..One of the aurors told me that's why they suspect Ron to have had help. He never would have been capable of a spell like that." She explained and then stopped for a moment in her exam. "I...I know that Ron is the one that did this. But I am sorry, Madam Black. For all of it. I never wanted anything to happen to Draco. Or you. Thank you, too. For saving Draco. I should have been the one that the curse hit. It's unfair for it to affect either of you." Hermione glanced back down to Bellatrix's side and fumbled with her wand, fixing to start back up in the healing spells when Bellatrix replied.

"As much as I'd love to blame you for it, it's not actually your fault. There are always vile creatures about that wish to take what we hold dear. And the curse proved just how much you truly care about Draco. Probably the only thing we have in common. I'd do anything to ensure his and my sister's safety. Including tearing the Weasel boy apart, limb by limb." She smirked at her last statement and waited to see Hermione squirm. 

Hermione smiled softly at Bellatrix's words and couldn't help but chuckle as she spoke about Ron. "You know, I never thought I would condone murderous tendencies. But in this case, I'm afraid that I almost have to agree." She chuckled once more and then continued in her tests, a smile still on her lips as she jotted down what she was finding out.

A matching grin rested on the dark witch's lips as well, even if it was barely there and Hermione never did notice it. Bellatrix was beginning to see why the girl had fit in so well with Draco and her sister, even if she was a mudblood and a bit annoying at times. She could be much worse, she figured.

"Alright, my suspicions were correct regarding your hypogeusia stemming from advanced malnutrition. But the good news is that now that the medical diagnosis is there, we can start right away on the potions you'll need to fix it. And you won't have to return to the Ministry healers, as long as you're alright with me being the one assessing your health while on the new potions. As far as the effects of the curse, you were right, of course, in just needing more time for them to heal." Hermione smiled softly as she finished explaining everything to her and started to pack up her things. "Now, the only thing the exam couldn't tell me straight out. How are you feeling? Is there any other pain or discomfort anywhere?" 

Bellatrix smirked at her question and cocked her eyebrow. "You really are a funny one, Miss Granger. I feel splendid. Any further questions? Or can I rest in peace without your incessant chatter keeping me up?" 

Hermione shook her head, a bit torn between irritation that Bellatrix continued to refuse to take her seriously but also shocked that she'd called her by her name instead of some lessened form of mudblood like usual. She wondered if the dark witch had meant to or if she'd just slipped up, fuzzy from the effects of her potions. "That's all. Rest well, Madam Black." She made her way towards the door to leave, stepping outside but pausing as Bellatrix spoke to her again.

"And that's fine, if you're to be the one that administers whatever medication I'm supposed to have. If it'd keep me from having to go to the Ministry, and besides, you're in the manor enough as it is. Might as well make yourself useful. That is, as long as I don't wake up to find you sleeping in a chair at my bedside again." She teased her, smirking. 

"I-I wasn't-- You're ill, Madam--ugh." Hermione simply huffed and nodded. "Of course not, Madam Black. Let me know if you need anything else." She closed the door to the sound of Bellatrix's laughter and rolled her eyes at falling into her teasing so easily ad stumbling over her words. When she thought about it, though, she didn't really know why she had wound up in Bellatrix's room that morning or why it was that she could find sleep just feet away from the former death eater. She blamed it on her guilty conscience and pushed the thought to the back of her mind, heading back to her room to focus on her work from the Ministry rather than worrying over Bellatrix Black, of all people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Again, love all the comments :) Let me know what you think/what you want to see next!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of a short, filler chapter so the next part of it will be up in the next few days :)

Friday came more quickly than Hermione had anticipated. She'd gotten all her work done earlier in the week, but she still felt as though nothing was complete. She just had hoped that they would have had more information on Ron by now. There hadn't been any more leads and all their pre-existing evidence kept leading them to dead ends. She'd devoted her attention to helping Bellatrix recover and working in the gardens. She was thankful for Bellatrix's returned health, though. After waking up, the dark witch had started doing much better with the extra rest and regular meals. Hermione even found that her sense of taste was returning when Bella announced that she thought the elves were pitying her because of the accident and had started seasoning her meals correctly again. 

Hermione found herself waiting impatiently for Draco to return home from work, already sitting at the prepared dining table with Narcissa and Bellatrix. She began to worry as the minutes went by, already assuming the worst, even with his mother and aunt seeming unbothered by his lateness. She physically felt the build up of tension leave her as the elves announced her friend's arrival. He came in with a pinched expression, reminding Hermione a bit of the face his mother wore whenever something didn't suit her. "Draco, is everything alright?" Hermione asked, her body turning as her eyes moved with him across the room. 

Draco forcibly relaxed and sat down beside Hermione, nodding his head. "I--uh, Harry came to talk to me just before I got off today," he started to explain, Hermione hanging on to his every word. "He said they'd found the old wizard who Ron paid to cast the curse. He claims to have information about Ron's whereabouts, so they're planning on properly questioning tomorrow morning." 

Hermione felt sick to her stomach upon hearing the news, recoiling into herself as Narcissa and Bellatrix both asked Draco more questions. Draco brushed them off the best he could with short answers, more worried about Hermione. 

"'Mione, they're going to find him. They'll find him before he hurts anyone else, or even has the chance to," he assures her, sighing as all he got in reply was a nod. 

"Oh, cheer up, pet. Perhaps the old man really does know where the ginger is hiding out. They can bring him and I can serve him the punishment he deserves for making me feel like such shit for a few days." Bellatrix laughed before taking a sip of her wine, rolling her eyes to herself as Narcissa rebutted. 

"Get that terrible idea out of your head immediately, Bella. You may no longer play the Lady of Justice, reining down whatever consequence you see fit. The aurors will find the Weasley boy. And they'll throw him in Azkaban to rot, where he belongs. And you will do nothing to land yourself there with him." Narcissa huffed slightly and sat up straighter in her chair, peering back over to Draco and Hermione after her small outburst. "There's nothing to worry about, Hermione," the older woman assured her guest, "You're completely safe here in the manor."

Hermione gulped as she and Draco sat through the older witches' spat, the situation making her uncomfortable even though she'd be lying if she said she didn't find Bellatrix's response at least a bit amusing. Watching her make her food into small, orange, Ron-like stick people and then mutilate them with her magic was satisfying in its own way. 

Refocusing her attention on Narcissa, Hermione sighed and shook her head before she spoke. "It's not me I'm worried about. Ron is.. dangerous, under even favorable circumstances. Now that he's angry all over again.. I just fear that he'll try something else. And it's Draco leaving for work everyday, not me." 

Draco took Hermione's hand in his own and gave it a brief squeeze. "You don't need to worry about me. He won't make it back into the Ministry. Even with a hundred old, wise wizards. Besides, Harry also said Ron spent most of his money from the war on the first curse. He just doesn't have enough left now to afford anything else like that. He can't do much without his friend, anyway."

Hermione's expression turned somber at his words, and she felt a shiver run down her spine as her body ached in pain for a moment so brief she couldn't be sure if she really felt anything or had imagined it. "He can still do enough, Draco. I know." 

Draco's shoulders slumped as he realized what she meant, having not even thought of the memories his words could have brought up. "I'm sorry, Mione. I know you do." 

Narcissa cleared her throat and looked around at each of the people sitting at her table, feeling her chest pang as she thought of their sorrows. She hated whenever either Draco or Hermione brought up their most recent dark pasts. Hearing about one always made her think of the other, and both events ignited a fury within her that she would rather not have to deal with. She also noticed just in time that her sister had a question, or more likely, a series of questions, brewing on the tip of her tongue and didn't want to give her the opportunity to pry about details of pasts none of them wanted to revisit. "Draco won't have to work this weekend. Everyone can stay here, inside the estate, where it's safe. If they haven't caught him by Monday morning, we will deal with the situation then." Her voice held a sense of finality, and no one disagreed. Or ever did, really. Her statement was instead met only with a series of nods and a quiet eye roll from a certain dark witch. 

xxx

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be longer, I kind of have worked out what I want to do now but am definitely still open to any suggestions or requests :) Finally done with finals after tomorrow so should be good to update more regularly again, too!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for such a long wait between updates.. but here you go!

"Good afternoon, Madam Black." Hermione greeted the older witch, both to be pleasant and to let her know she wasn't alone in the main library. The last thing she wanted was to accidentally surprise her with her presence. 

Bellatrix perked up and looked around the sitting area until she saw Hermione lounging on the far sofa. "Hmph." She acknowledged the younger woman's presence but continued to look across the shelves. "Where's Draco? I haven't seen you without him all weekend," she asked and stepped out from among the shelves with a few different books in her hands. 

Hermione shrugged slightly and readjusted her position on the sofa, sitting up more fully. "He went to get a book out of his room for me. Something about a new study on a newly discovered species of magical fern. They're thought to have medicinal properties." She scans the stack of books in Bellatrix's hands, trying to make out their titles but finding that they were simply too far away to read. 

"You don't have to continue keeping tabs on him, you know. He's in no danger here. Neither of you are," she pointed out before bringing her stack of books to the coffee table in between Hermione's sofa and the one she sat down at now. 

After spreading out her selection, Hermione could get a better look at the books, seeing now that they were, 'Gardens of Great Wizards', 'Popular Spring Bulbs', and 'Bee-Friendly Plants and Blossoms'. 

"I..uhm, I know." Hermione tried to answer and give the other witch her full attention, but she was still trying to accustom herself to the fact that Bellatrix Black was reading books on garden maintenance. 

"Narcissa is extending the gardens and giving me a plot to do with whatever I please. I'm not going to just plant a handful of random dumb seeds and see what happens. I'm researching. And you're not listening." She huffed slightly and gathered her books back up in her arms. "I'll go to my room to read. You obviously can't concentrate with me in here." She smirked. 

"Wh-what?" Hermione asked and looked up at Bellatrix as she stood to go. "No, no. I just.. left my head for a bit. Sorry. A lot going on up there, you know?" She tried for a bit of a smile, but knew it was a pathetic lie. She really just hadn't expected gardening books to be what Bellatrix was studying. She felt bad, though, once she realized she was expecting something dark or sinister. She had seen first hand how much progress Bellatrix had been making and didn't feel that the witch deserved more punishment still for her actions of the past. She was careful to be wary around her, but she didn't feel unsafe around the witch like she used to. 

"That's what they say." Bellatrix shrugged, still smirking as she leaves the library. She says hello and something about Hermione going looney to Draco as they cross paths, him coming in with a book in his hand and Bellatrix leaving with her selection of a few in her own. 

Draco raised an eyebrow at his aunt's words, looking over his shoulder at her as he walked into the library. "What was she going on about?" he asked Hermione, a bit confused about the whole scenario. "Were you... talking with her?" He sat down beside his friend and opened the book, thumbing through its pages as he waited for an answer.

Hermione shook her head quickly and shrugged. Had she been talking with her? It didn't seem in the moment like she'd been talking to Bellatrix, or even trying to. Although, it had been comfortable enough that maybe she had been and just hadn't noticed that was what it was. She had cut the conversation short, after all, for her daftness to be so surprised at the idea of Bellatrix.. gardening.

She snapped back from her thoughts and answered Draco. "I have no idea. I was looking at the books she had in her arms. Gardening books. And it just.. something broke in me, I think. Seeing her as such a normal person for the first time. Same thing happened with you and Narcissa. You went from being Malfoys to just being you." She offered him a smile and then busied herself with looking through the book, finding the new fern and turning to its page. 

Draco smiled at Hermione and nodded, understanding completely. "I'm glad. I know you're not comfortable with her knowing much about Ron and I don't blame you, but I think she'd be helpful in trying to figure out any new things he has planned, and his whereabouts. If you're starting to see she can do no harm, maybe she could help?" 

Draco wanted nothing more than for everything to be okay between both Hermione and Ron and Hermione and Bellatrix. He may not have had the best relationship with the dark witch growing up, but the woman was still his aunt and was still very important to Narcissa. It was natural for him to want everyone he cared about to get along. As for Ron, he wanted nothing more than the dirty bastard to be sent to Azkaban to rot for what he had done to his friend and for trying to still hurt her. He hoped he never saw the weasel, for fear he'd end up in Azkaban himself for what he'd do to him. 

Hermione sighed and nodded back to her friend. "It's not that I don't trust her help, Draco. She's too weak. And I can't ask her to involve herself in something like this so soon after being released from that hell and then being so badly hurt on top of it. All because of me. She owes me nothing after all of that. I won't ask her to do anything. It's not fair."

Draco knew her tone, and knew it would be futile to argue with her at this point. But, he was a stubborn man, and decided to do so anyway. "She's getting better everyday, Hermione. You yourself gave her the all-clear to resume normal activities yesterday. And we're looking at the fern to see if it could be useful in clearing up the remnants. At least tell me you'll think about if we can get this to work?"

"You're absolutely right, Draco. That's why we're here. To be studying the fern so that Madam Black may regain her full health. And so that she may regain her full health to be able to do things like..well, like going for walks and..and gardening! Not so that we may ask her to solve my problems, which are of no consequence to her. Now, please." Hermione sighed to herself once again after her little outburst and then frowned, resting her head on Draco's shoulder for a moment. "I'm sorry. I just.. can't bring myself to ask her for help after everything that's happened. I can't do that. She barely scraped out of that curse alive. You have to understand that much for me, please." Her voice had trailed to a whisper and she crossed her arms over her chest. 

Draco frowned and wrapped an arm around Hermione's back, tucking her into his side. "I understand. I won't bring it up again. At least not until she's healed. You're not in this alone though, Hermione. We're all here for you. I'm here for you. Let's figure out this fern for a little bit and then you can go take a nap before dinner. I know you haven't been sleeping. You're exhausted, aren't you?"

Hermione bit her lip and leaned into Draco's comfort for a moment before sitting back upright and shaking her head. "No, Draco, I'm alright. Thank you. I think I will lay down for a bit before dinner. I'm okay though. Really."

 

xxxx

 

"No, Cissa. What do I have to say? I keep telling you and telling you, I'm fine. Healed, voila. The girl's potions are working perfectly. I can't even feel the effects of the curse anymore. Not really. And as for them, they'll put up more wards. They'll be fine." Bellatrix sat in her room, trying to read through her gardening books in peace. Narcissa was doing a wonderful job with keeping her from doing just that, though. "You've gotten yourself into such a fit for no reason. They're not going to let any harm come to them, not after what happened."

Narcissa nodded at Bellatrix' reassurance. Surely now they would keep a closer eye on things. But with both Draco and Hermione planning on going back to work on Monday, she couldn't keep herself from feeling stressed. "No, I'm sure they'll be cautious now. But they had absolutely nothing to stop him from getting in for that to happen. It shouldn't have been possible in the first place. And to see harm come to all of you." She shook her head and sat down beside her sister on the couch, plucking at the hem of her dress. "After what the boy did.." she trailed off and shook her head, sighing shakily. "He should've been the one rotting in Azkaban all time this, Bella. And we should have had you here, with us." 

Bellatrix sighed at Narcissa's emotional display, always hating having to face her feelings or worse yet, her sister's. "Hush about that. It happened, and he did what he did. I'm fine. Draco and the girl are fine. And I've done my rotting in Azkaban, and it's over as well. I was actually trying, Cissy, to find some things to start growing, you'll be pleased to hear. No more rotting for me." She smiled and held up her gardening book in her hands before pushing her sister's hand away from her skirt. "Stop that. You've ruined too many gowns by taking your stress out on their hems." She placed her book on the coffee table in front of them and leaned back into the couch, fixing her own dress and looking up at Narcissa after a moment. "What did the weasel do to her, Cissa?" 

Narcissa's hand paused from where it picked at the seam of her skirts and she looked up at Bellatrix, shaking her head. "That's not something for me to tell you, Bella. But he hurt her. Badly. And he has yet to pay for it."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for it being so long again! Finals, holidays, and work have all kept me busy but I hope to update more frequently now. :) Hope everyone had a great holiday and thanks again for all the reviews!

"Yes, I understand. But you know the Ministry wouldn't mind if you were to just stay here, where it's safe, until he's been caught. There's no way of knowing for sure that he won't try anything else." Narcissa was almost to the point of begging, unable to think of something else happening to either of them.

"We've already been over this, Mother. We'll see you at lunch." Draco sighed at his mother's antics. She had already gotten Hermione to cut back to a half day for her first day back. She and Draco would come home together for lunch and then Draco would return for the rest of his day while Hermione continued her work from home. It had taken awhile for them to reach the compromise, but it wasn't surprising that Narcissa had gotten at least part of what she wanted. He was worried if they didn't get out the door soon, she'd have them both staying home and tucked away in bed where she could keep an eye on them.

Hermione was still staying with them, but had been insistent upon returning to her normal work duties now that Bellatrix was healed and she was no longer needed at the Manor. She didn't really want to admit that she'd been running in the first place, even though she couldn't deny the truth. At least not to herself. She was scared, but she would be brave in the face of her fear. She wouldn't let Ron ruin anything else for her, or try to hurt anyone else that she cared about. 

Narcissa's attempts to have them stay were futile, as Hermione and Draco both kissed her cheek in turn and waved goodbye to her and a fed up Bellatrix lingering at the end of the hall. The darker witch surely didn't seem to appreciate having been woken up so early to see them off.

Bellatrix moved to her sister as they left, sighing as she took her by the arm and guided her towards the sitting room. "Let's have some tea, love. They'll be back safe and sound in a few hours. I'll show you the new bulbs I've selected for the gardens."

xxx

It was nice for her to be back in the office, even if she did have a looming sense of danger every time she stood up from her desk. Hermione had engrossed herself with her work, not wanting to even give herself the time to think about Ron or what had happened just a few feet in front of her desk the last time she had been here. She was getting ready to start packing up to leave for lunch when she looked up to see Harry standing in front of her desk. She hadn't been expecting to see him again after he'd come by this morning to check on how she was settling back in, and her mind started to race to different conclusions as to explain his visit.

"Hey, Mione." Harry offered a smile and cleared his throat a bit, looking uncomfortable. 

"Harry. What's wrong?" Hermione frowned immediately, thinking the worst. Her eyes glanced down the hall and sought out Draco's desk, jumping back to Harry after a moment. "Is everyone okay?" 

"No, no. Nothing's wrong. Everyone is fine. I just.. you need to come with me. I'll explain on the way." He glanced over his shoulder as he saw her gaze shift, nodding back to her. "We already told Draco. He said he'd make your excuses for lunch. It shouldn't take that long, though." 

Hermione gulped as she stood, leaving her things at her desk as she walked out from behind it and started to walk, following Harry's lead toward his own department. 

Harry sighed softly to himself and started to try and explain. "These things sometimes happen, Hermione, in cases like this. We have a lead and then.." he shrugged and kept walking. "it just kind of doesn't go anywhere. We know that the old man prepared the curse. They linked him to a few other similar instances and he's going to Azkaban for the rest of his life. All the old casework you guys had to dig through a few weeks ago actually helped out with that. And he said he had information about where Ron was, but we have all the information the old man gave us and still have no idea where he's hiding out. The most helpful thing we got from him was that Ron had figured out the curse didn't hit its true target and wasn't very happy about it. Which causes us to think that he may be planning something else. I think.. We all think it'd be safer if you stayed home for awhile longer." 

They had arrived in his office a few minutes before he had finished talking and Hermione sat down upon hearing what he thought. "Harry, I can't... I'm not spending any more time hiding from him. I'll be sick if I have to stay home while you and Draco are here, in danger of the very thing I'm running from. I'll be alright, Harry. Ron doesn't have help anymore. He can't do that much damage again." 

"I know he can't do much. But he can still do enough. And I can't.." Harry sighed as he trailed off and ran a hand through his hair. He wouldn't be able to stand it if she was hurt again. It was his job to catch Ron now, just as it was his job as her friend a year ago to keep her safe and he had failed. "I didn't protect you from him a year ago, Hermione. I couldn't live with myself if I were to fail you again." 

Hermione stood again and hugged Harry tightly. Of course he would blame himself for what Ron had done and for not having already caught him now. "You've never failed me, Harry. And you won't now. I know you'll catch him. I have no doubt. But I can't live in hiding until you do. I have to carry on as usual." 

Harry nodded and hugged her once again. "I figured you'd say that. Malfoy said you'd never agree to staying home too. I just wanted you to be up to date on everything. Know the risk. I've got the notes we have so far here. I knew you'd want to look them over. They're classified, of course, but I got the okay to give them to you." He handed over a thin folder and then sighed. "I won't keep you, I know you have lunch to get to. I'll see you tomorrow, though. Stay safe." 

Hermione returned the hug gratefully and agreed to do so, thankful he hadn't pushed too much for her not to come to work. She'd go crazy if she had to stay home much longer. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy being at the Manor, she just needed to work. It kept her sane, giving herself something to focus on and devote her time to. 

She bid Harry another goodbye and left for her own office, finding Draco waiting for her at her desk. 

"Draco. Harry said he told you I would be late. You didn't have to wait for me, I'm sorry." She apologized, feeling bad that Draco spent time from his break waiting for her while she and Harry talked. 

"Don't apologize. Potter already told me he was going to talk to you. I knew it wouldn't take long. There's no arguing with you once you've made your mind up." He chuckled and offered her her coat. "I owled to let Mother know we'd be late. It's no trouble."

"Thank you. I just can't stay stuck at home any longer." She tucked the folder safely into her bag and quickly tidied up her desk before leaving with him, glad to be done with her first day back even if she was looking forward to being back at work. She hated the talking and stares from her coworkers now that they all seemed to know about her past. It was unnerving, at best. She just wanted things to go back to normal.

xx

"Hermione, Draco! You finally made it, wonderful. Abra will take your coats." Narcissa smiled, obviously happy to have them both back home and safe again under her watch. 

"It's nice to be home, Narcissa. Work certainly piles up after being away for a little while." Hermione greeted her and handed off her coat, waiting for her and Draco before making her way to the dining room. 

"Oh, I'm sure. We've missed you both here, though. Bella and I have been planning out the new gardens, trying to keep busy while you both were away." Narcissa offered a soft smile and took her seat at the head of the table. "We've made quite a bit of progress. Isn't that right, Bellatrix?" She asked, looking over at her older sister. It had been hard for her to have them away. She hadn't been this stressed out since the war, and back then she only had Draco to worry about. Now, she had to look after a healing but just as volatile Bellatrix, and Hermione as well.

Bellatrix deflated noticeably as Draco and Hermione entered the room. "Oh, thank Merlin you two are back. She wouldn't leave me alone all day. I had to keep her from owling the Ministry to check on you every 5 minutes. And yes, Cissa, we've planned this bloody garden out to every fucking piece of soil on the estate." She sighed and took another drink of her wine, slumping down a bit more in her chair. "You two can deal with her attentions now. I'm going to take my lunch in my room and then sleep until damn well late into tomorrow. Have fun." She stood and sauntered her way across the dining room, wine glass in hand. "Good night, Draco." She stopped to kiss her nephew's cheek and nodded at Hermione as she passed. "Miss Granger." She headed off, hearing a 'good night' from each of them, and satisfied with leaving Narcissa in their hands. 

Hermione and Draco took their seats at the table, both a little amused at Bellatrix's display and at Narcissa's care. Draco hadn't really given it much thought before, but he could tell now just how much it meant to his mother to have her sister back here with her. They balanced each other, in a way. If only they could catch Ron and throw him away where he belonged, they might even be able to function like a normal family.

"And Cissy, I swear, if you wake me up before 7 o'clock again to see the two brats off to work I'll figure out some way to fuck over these wards so I can choke the life out of you!" Bellatrix called out from the staircase, not bothering to look back at them. 

Well, maybe somewhat like a normal family. Normal by their standards, anyways. Draco noticed Hermione's eyes widening at his aunt's words while Narcissa just chuckled and rolled her eyes.

xx

Lunch passed quickly as they ate and talked, seeing Draco back off to work after they were done. Narcissa and Hermione ended up in the library with Narcissa showing her the plans for the new gardens. They really had planned everything to a T. Hermione tried to stay interested in all the details, but was quickly learning why Bellatrix had seemed so irritated when they got home for lunch earlier. It was also why she was so glad for said witch to interrupt them about an hour later. 

Bellatrix took a seat beside her sister on the couch and huffed softly. "It seems you really have healed me, Granger. I can't go to sleep. I just don't need the extra rest anymore." 

Hermione looked up from the garden details and smiled at the witch. "I'm glad to hear that. You are looking very well, Madam Black." 

Bellatrix visibly perked up at the compliment and then rolled her eyes as she saw what Hermione was reading. "You've got her going over the garden plans too, Cissa? Can't we talk about anything else?" 

Hermione couldn't deny that she would also like a bit of a change in conversation, even if she was thankful for any distraction from worrying about Draco at work. Plus her compliment had seemed to please Bellatrix, so she wasn't too worried about what she might suggest as a change in topic. 

Narcissa bristled slightly as Bellatrix criticized her conversation and Hermione seemed hopeful for a change as well. She took pride in her ability to host and her skills in keeping a conversation rich and interesting, but supposed that worrying about Draco had caused her to do a poor job at it today. "Oh, fine. By all means, Bella, what do you suggest?" 

Bellatrix grinned as she was given the opportunity to request what she wanted. "Tea. In the garden. The sun's out and you both are crazy to stay cooped up in this stuffy library. Come on." She stood and led them out of the library, ordering an elf to send out tea and then walking with them to her favorite spot in the gardens as they listened to Narcissa comment on the lovely weather.

The table was a short walk from the house and was surrounded by four comfortable chairs, all set up close to a small pond where ducks were quacking softly and waddling around. "This spot we won't change." Bellatrix said as she took a seat and pulled a piece of bread from a pocket in her dress. She proceeded to roll small bits of the bread into balls and then throw them at the ducks, chuckling as they hit them and then were promptly eaten after the birds recovered from their confusion. 

Hermione remained entertained with watching the dark witch, laughing softly as well as the poor animals inspected the area around them to see what hit them and then ate the bread they found. It amused her to watch Bellatrix's reactions to them, smiling herself as the older witch was surprised by one of their responses or played at how close she could get them to come to her before reaching out to try to pet one, laughing as it would run away each time. It helped pass the time more quickly and made Narcissa's worried ramblings much easier to swallow. 

"Lively little creatures, no?" Bellatrix turned her head to Hermione, smiling as she found her watching them as well. Narcissa had busied herself with a gardening magazine, paying no mind to their conversation. 

"They're quite fun to watch, yes." Hermione answered, offering a smile back before turning her attention back to the ducks. 

"Draco used to watch them with me during the war. Always unbothered by everything, they are. We can learn a lot from them, in that sense." Bellatrix passed a small slice of bread to Hermione so she could throw her own bread balls, chuckling to herself as the younger woman tossed them in front of the ducks. "It's more fun to hit them. They quack and run around and then get to be pleasantly surprised." 

Hermione nodded and agreed with her, telling her so and thanking her for the bread. "Perhaps." She chuckled, throwing a few more and rolling them to the ducks' feet. "That one looks quite like Draco, no?" She suggested, pointing to a duck with feathers that reflected the sunlight to appear almost golden with a small tuft of ruffled feathers atop its head. 

Bellatrix laughed loudly and nodded, making another ball of bread and throwing it at the duck, she and Hermione both laughing again as it ran off quacking and Draco made his appearance home from work at just the right time. He walked to where the elves had said they were taking tea and looked questioningly at his aunt and friend. 

Narcissa looked up from her book at their laughter, a puzzled look on her face as well before seeing Draco and no longer caring about what it was that had gotten her sister and Hermione into a fit. She hugged her son and pulled him over to the table. She could worry about what had Bella being so friendly later. Right now, she was just at ease to have her family surrounding her, safe and happy and together. 

Hermione noticed Draco's glances and cleared her throat slightly, taking another sip of her tea and shrugging. "The uh.. ducks." She explained, nodding towards the pond and smiling. "We found your doppelganger." 

She sobered slightly as she remembered, then, the notes she had to go over after dinner and the reason why she was here in the first place. It had been nice to forget about Ron and all their troubles for an hour or two, though. She had earlier opted to wait until Draco got home so she could have his input, and was glad that she had chosen to do so, having had a nice afternoon with Narcissa and Bellatrix and the ducks. 

Bellatrix snorted amusedlyat Hermione's comment and raised an eyebrow at her nephew. "Well, it looks like you made it home unscathed. Well done, Draco. How was the rest of your day at the office? It has to be more interesting than hearing more about our future gardens." She laughed again and patted Narcissa's hand. "No offense, dear."

Narcissa rolled her eyes but looked to Draco as well to hear about his day, all of them happier than ever to listen to a mundane story about a day at the office. 

xx

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! Reviews are appreciated :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think. I'll hopefully have time for a few chapters in the next few weeks if there's still interest.
> 
> *I don't own anything.*

"Yes, I know it wasn't a successful lead, but still. I was expecting at least a little more than this." Hermione sighed as she and Draco looked over the contents of the file. There really hadn't been much information regarding Ron's whereabouts. The aurors had checked his and Hermione's old apartment, the Burrow, all of Ron's frequented bars, and still nothing. And all the information the old wizard had given them hadn't turned up anything about his location either. 

"Harry did say he hadn't been overly helpful. But Ron isn't so clever to stay hidden away for very long. It seems like he's used up all his tricks. He's likely just hiding away, hoping to make a run for it. But they won't let him. They'll find him and make him pay for what he's done to you." Draco wanted to do more to assure her, but he didn't know any more than she did. Less, really, considering she was the one that'd spent so long getting to know his habits and quirks. It was times like this he hated his position even more. He wanted to be an auror, to fight and protect his family like he hadn't been able to during the war. He wanted to be on the right side of things, bringing in the criminals instead of being one, especially now that it was Hermione that needed the protection. 

"That's not what I'm worried about. I didn't care about justice the first time everything happened. I just wanted to heal, and by the time I did that, I just wanted to forget about him. Move on with life. You know that better than anyone, really. I couldn't have done it without you. I'm only so worried about it now because he's targeting the people I love. I can handle the personal attacks, I have before. From him and countless others. But I can't handle this, the people I care about getting hurt because of me. You heard Bellatrix, you would have died had the curse hit you. She almost died blocking it." Hermione shook her head and focused on steadying her breathing. It did no good to let herself get worked up about it all again. They needed logic now more than ever, she couldn't let her emotions cloud her thinking while they tried to figure everything out. Still, she didn't pull away as Draco hugged her, holding her hand supportively until she came back to herself. 

"I'm okay. We just need to keep thinking, going through everything again until something clicks."

xxx

Draco knew she wouldn't like it, but they really had no more options as to what to do. They couldn't ask his mother, she was too close to the situation and cared too much for them both to think clearly about anything when it came to Ron. One mention of him had the same effect as mentioning his father, sending her into a sort of infuriated state where her eyes would darken and she would usually disappear for an hour or two, destroying some far off section of the gardens before returning and fixing herself back up into the air of the respected, well put together matriarch she was. They'd learned not to question it, as his mother and her sisters definitely weren't known for their ability to handle their feelings well anyways. 

No, it would have to be Bellatrix. She'd be the fresh outlook to the situation they needed, even if it did mean he would have to put up with her snark and Hermione's discomfort in asking the dark witch for help after blaming herself for what had happened. It did seem to work out in his head, at least. He knew Hermione would never agree to asking her, so he'd done it after dinner that same night. He didn't fancy the idea of spending another afternoon going through the same information they had, with just the two of them looking at everything with the same perspectives. Besides, Bellatrix wasn't once such a powerful Death Eater for no reason. She had a knack for this sort of thing. They might as well make use of it as long as Hermione was obsessing over doing the aurors' brain work for them.

xxx

Bellatrix was a bit surprised at Draco's proposal. She'd pretended to give it some thought before agreeing, but had actually been excited at the chance to do something challenging that didn't involve the layout of her sister's gardens. She was involved enough as it was to have the motivation to want to catch him, after he'd targeted her dear Draco and instead made the deadly mistake of harming her. And while she still didn't know what he'd done to the girl, she did want to find out. It was bad enough to send Narcissa into one of her fits if their conversation lingered on the subject of him long enough or the issue of Hermione's past ever arose. It seemed the girl may still suffer from pain in her arm from whatever happened. Bellatrix was perceptive, and she'd noticed the way Hermione seemed to nurse it, rubbing her shoulder or the like whenever she was tired or after staying in one spot for awhile while they all read in the library. 

She knew this way too, though, that there was a reason it was Draco asking her for her help on the case. She wanted to help, so she didn't mention it to him, but it was clear the last thing Hermione would want would be her assistance. The girl blamed herself, she was sure, for the things the weasel did. She also wasn't exactly sure it wouldn't be unsettling for the younger witch to be working with her in general. She hadn't failed to see that the scar she'd given her was still present on her arm. She had been rather proud of that mark, years ago. Tainting the golden girl with a reminder of her own filth. To see it now, though, had recently started to make her sick to her stomach. She wasn't looking forward to spring and the coming warmer weather, the favorable conditions of shorter sleeves and seeing it more often. 

She pushed the thoughts out of her head, instead channeling the sickness she started to feel at the memories into more motivation to catch their current common enemy. 

xxx

Hermione hadn't been pleased, to say the least, the next day after work when Draco sat down with her to look over the case files once again... this time with Bellatrix in tow.

"I'm sorry, Madam Black. I already told Draco we shouldn't bother you with this. And as your healer, the last thing I can recommend is the stress that would accompany getting involved in the case." Hermione tried to explain, shooting her best glare to Draco, who squirmed under her scrutiny. 

Bellatrix sighed, rolling her eyes as she got comfortable on the couch beside Draco. "You do remember that I am a prisoner in this house, Miss Granger? I spend every day listening to Cissy worry over the two of you and drown the silence with plans to redo gardens that are pristine as it is. As my /healer/, you can't tell me that's healthy. The one time I do get to go out, my nephew is the target of some lunatic and I get another great set of scars." Her voice cackled as she laughed then, sounding too forced and too like the same laugh they were all familiar with in their pasts. She cleared her throat and adjusted her corset, huffing lightly. "I want to help. I won't pry to know what terrors he inflicted onto you in the past, but these most recent ones hit me, square in the fucking chest. You saw that much when you healed me. He threatened the people we care about, and hurt us. I want him dead as much as you. But Azkaban will do, considering the wards and such stifling my magic. People do not get away with hurting the few people I care about, Miss Granger. You both know that." She reached forward and took the file off the table, looking up at Hermione for her approval. The corners of her lips turned upwards slightly at Hermione's nod and she nodded back before looking through the few pieces of information. 

"Well, there certainly isn't much here. The old man, though, I recognize his name. The Tiebauts died out around mine and Cissa's generation. He would be the last surviving member of the family, if this is correct. Very powerful." She clicked her tongue as she looked through the intel they had on him.

Draco nodded at her explanation, though it didn't quite make sense. "If he's from a pureblood family, why was he living like scum and selling curses to the likes of Weasley?" 

Bellatrix shrugged at his question, not looking up from the papers. "Why do old men do anything they do?" She pondered for another moment before looking up, holding up her finger and then tapping it against her lips in thought. "No, I remember. A big scandal, before my time. Something to do with breaking customs. Or maybe a wedding." She shook her head, waving her hand. "It doesn't matter. It would have been enough to force the remaining into hiding, pissing off the wrong people back then got you killed, or stripped of your titles- even worse. But that's besides the point. A wizard like Tiebaut wouldn't be venturing outside, he'd know better. You're trying to figure out how to connect Weasley right to him, but I think you need a link." 

Hermione nodded, biting her lip as she thought. "It makes sense. We already knew Ron wouldn't have been able to figure the curse out by himself. Probably wouldn't have been able to hunt it down by himself either. Do you have any ideas who would have known about Tiebaut?" She'd been much less involved in the post war work since what happened with Ron. She didn't know the ins and outs of what was still being done to tie up loose ends or who might still be out there. 

Bellatrix shrugged again and laid the file back on the coffee table, looking up to meet Hermione's gaze. "Well, you have a powerful and feared pureblood wizard, well-versed in the skills of hiding and killing. And you have your ex, an incompetent, snotty little piece of shit, perhaps, but still a pureblood. The only group of people that wouldn't have cared about his stupidity as long as he was pure and would have known where to reach Tiebaut would be the Death Eaters. Though you've had most of them killed since the war, no? Which is both a good thing and a bad thing for you now, it seems. You know who's left, so you know who you're looking for. But you haven't caught them yet, so it's not likely you're going to."

"Yes, of course. Thank you, Bellatrix. It does make sense that's where Ron went when the curse didn't work. Back to them for more supplies." Hermione continued, nodding as she went through her own file, her thoughts racing as she let the witch's first name slip. "I have a list. The bars Ron used to frequent when things first started to get bad. Harry's already had them checked, of course, but if we know what to look for.." 

Bellatrix's eyes went slightly wider for a moment before she squared her gaze once again, a lazy smirk playing on her lips. The girl had thanked her, after all. And she'd solved their little case in the matter of half an hour. 

Draco nodded and handed her a piece of parchment and a quill, looking over at his aunt's expression as Hermione called her by her first name. "They've, uhm, been hunting the remaining Death Eaters. We don't have that information, but if you send Potter that list again and let him cross reference it with wherever they've had suspicious activity in their Death Eater cases, maybe they'll find an area, at least, that they can start to look around in." 

"Yes, yes. I think this might actually be something." Hermione smiled and looked up at the two of them, finally feeling a small sense of relief for the first time since Ron had been back. "Thank you both. Truly." 

Bellatrix grinned back and waved her hand at the thanks. "Eh, it's nothing. I was hoping for it to be a bit more fun, of course. But men are often stupidly easy to predict. Simple creatures. No offense, Draco." She patted his hand and chuckled as he rolled his eyes. 

Draco took Hermione's hand and squeezed it gently from across the coffee table. "We'll always be here to help. He won't hurt you, or anyone else, again." 

None of them had heard the door open, and were all surprised as Narcissa made her presence known, bending down to wrap her arms lightly around Bellatrix's shoulders and smile at the three of them. "It is so nice to see you all getting along, my loves. But enough talk of the boy for tonight. So put all this dreadful business aside and come indulge me in some lighter conversation over dinner. I've found the most lovely selection of tulips for the fountain area in the far west maze." 

Bellatrix groaned at her sister's talk and weakly pushed her away, though the blonde didn't budge so easily. "Please, will one of you curse me again so I don't have to hear another word about bloody fountain tulips?" 

Narcissa feigned hurt as Bellatrix spoke ill of her flowers, smirking as she pecked her sister's cheek. "Would you prefer these two lips, my dear?" She kissed her cheek two more times with dramatic 'Mwahs', chuckling to herself at her cleverness until Bellatrix batted her away and stood from the couch, huffing as they made their way into the dining room, though they could all see the amusement on her face as well.

Hermione and Draco chuckled as well as they followed the two older women to their places at the table, smiling as they took their seats. They each found a small bit of peace in that moment, something that hadn't been present in any of them for quite some time.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for bearing with me! About 2 weeks left and I'm done with this semester, so I'll be able to update more. As always, let me know what you think. 
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> TW: referenced abuse, blood

Chapter 11

Weeks had gone by since they thought they'd figured it out. Hermione had just about given up now, resigning herself to simply being forced to live in fear of turning the corner and seeing Ron for the rest of her life. 

Bellatrix predicted that he was dead, by result of some trouble of his own that would have been his end. Hermione figured it could be true, but also couldn't completely overlook the fact that the older witch had been rather displeased when her sleuthing hadn't been spot on and they still hadn't found him after the first few searches. Narcissa had briefly shared her hypothesis that he had ran and was far away by now before going into one of her tirades on the tendencies of cowards. That had not ended up being a very pleasant evening. Draco was under the impression that it would just take more time, and all she ever got from Harry when they talked about it were reassurances of her safety and an aura of guilt that made her sick to her stomach. She didn't want her loved ones to feel guilty over what happened. She was the guilty one in this, still convinced she held a large portion of the blame for everything that he'd done. 

xxx

Another week passed, and Hermione had somehow grown both more relieved and more anxious at the passing of time. On one hand, it could mean he wouldn't try anything else. On the other, it could mean he was taking the time to plot out something even worse. Either way, each day that he wasn't caught was another day that she couldn't feel completely safe and not actively fear for her loved ones. 

Saturday morning came and Hermione lounged on the couch in the library with Draco after breakfast, her toes tucked lazily under his thigh as they read. She was enjoying the peacefulness of it until Bellatrix and Narcissa walked in, as if on cue, to interrupt. 

Hermione had almost forgotten about their plans for the night. Thankfully, she'd gotten out of the shopping excursion, saying it'd be better for her and Draco to each go one on one with the matriarch to find their attire for the upcoming gala Narcissa had insisted on throwing. She wasn't exactly looking forward to being at the manor alone with Bellatrix, but she'd spent enough time convincing Draco she was fine with it that she'd realized she was actually more alright with the idea than she would have thought. The older witch's presence was becoming more and more natural to her. She'd even found herself occasionally wishing for Bellatrix's input to their conversations at work or during the rare instances that she wasn't bothering them in the manor. 

There had been a lot of talk surrounding Bellatrix's return, and now that she had successfully lasted a few months without any personal incidents, Narcissa wanted to show that she could also perform well in the midst of social interaction. It was important to her to keep up the family's social graces, even with all that had happened since the war. She'd given up a lot of ideas and beliefs that her upbringing had instilled in her, but hosting was in her blood, and she wanted people to see that Bellatrix was no longer dangerous. She knew her sister, and she could see her changing. 

Draco had appeased her initial worries regarding the event, and Hermione had to admit she was at least slightly looking forward to the gala. A night to relax and hopefully start her process of healing once again after being terrorized by Ron. She'd done it once before, she could do it again. Besides, she now had even more people she cared about helping her through the aftermath. It also had Bellatrix in a much better mood than normal, given that the night was unofficially in her honor, and that was almost worth it in itself. 

"Love, we must get going or we'll be late for your fittings." Narcissa gently nudged Draco from his place on the couch and towards the door. "We'll be home for dinner, girls. Be nice, Bella." 

Draco bid them goodbye as well before following his mother out, leaving the two women alone.

xx

Hermione returned her attention to her book after they'd left, quickly losing herself back in the text while appreciating the comfortable silence she and Bellatrix had let take over the room. 

The atmosphere remained comfortable until Hermione started to sense someone's eyes on her, the unwelcome feeling of being watched taking away her feeling of ease. She glanced up and caught Bellatrix's eye for a second before glancing back down to her page. She hoped that would be enough to make the older witch stop acting so weird, yet she never felt her stare waver. She chanced another look up and once again met Bellatrix's gaze, holding it for a moment or two before raising her eyebrow. 

"Is everything alright, Madam Black?" She tried to keep her voice as steady as possible, she didn't want to come off as rude or overly skeptical. She was anticipating a fine evening with the other woman and didn't want to ruin it by annoying her. 

"I could ask you the same thing, Miss Granger. You need to stop worrying so much about Draco and Cissy. Even as you sit there you fidget and frown. They can take care of themselves. They've fought off greater monsters than that of Weasel. You're going to make yourself sick." Bellatrix kept her gaze as she spoke, and seemed to have more to say even as she stayed silent. 

How she managed to convey both concern and aloofness Hermione couldn't figure out, but she nodded back to her regardless and thanked her for good measure. 

"I just can't seem to fully settle down while I know he's still out there. I mean, it's been this same way before, after the first time, but then he was just worried about hurting me. There wasn't anyone else to pull into it. Now that he's put you all in danger as well, I can't carry on nearly as easily. I know you've all dealt with worse, which is exactly why you shouldn't have to deal with this now. There's no telling what Ron could do, and especially if he's drinking again, I know what he's capable of." Hermione gulped as she explained her fears to Bellatrix, not knowing what to expect after spilling her thoughts. 

Bellatrix hummed for a moment, frowning as she listened but still thinking about the mysterious incident that no one would tell her about regarding what had happened in the first place. "I see. But he's not your problem alone anymore. It's important to remember that. Cissy wouldn't tell me what happened. And I understand, I suppose. It's not her story to share. But whatever he did, he'll die before he touches you or anyone else in this family again." She said confidently, eyes returning to her book.

Hermione sat, quite shocked at her wording, wondering if she'd meant for it to sound like Bellatrix included her in thinking about her family. Hermione liked to think so, to think she belonged here with them, but she never expected Bellatrix to come to any similar conclusion. She was mostly just grateful that she tolerated her. 

She wasn't sure what pushed the words free from her, whether it was Bellatrix's reassurances now or a collection of reassurances over the last few weeks that she didn't need to keep her guard up so much around her. 

"Everything was fine after the war. We went on as everyone expected us to. Things were.. well, fine. Not great but never bad. And then he failed his auror exams and starting drinking, cheating. Lost himself, really. I tried to help him. I really did. But I was busy, and Harry was busy, and I finally couldn't stand it. To see him with someone else after I'd poured so much energy and effort into what little we had, I snapped. Told him it was over. And..." she stopped for a moment to breathe, glancing up to find Bellatrix's eyes on her. The look she found on the older woman's features wasn't the pity she was used to seeing from others, or the disinterest she expected in this case. Instead, she saw only understanding from someone that had gone through similar instances of what she described, and worse. "It wasn't what he wanted to hear. He was already violent at that point and I should have known better. Should have just left. I only remembered bits and pieces for awhile until it came back to me. I only remembered the pain at first. He nearly killed me, they said. I felt so at fault, I didn't report him. Harry helped set me up with my current home and a new job, though, so I'd be able to move on. It's where I met Draco. Where I finally was able to feel like myself again." She stopped then, not wanting to drag on and start complaining about what had happened. It was in the past, and they needed to focus on moving on again now from the harm he'd done rather than bring up what he'd done so long ago. 

Hermione looked up at Bellatrix once again, noticing the woman's tired posture and the weary look her features held. 

Bellatrix sighed deeply and reached out, patting Hermione's knee. "Let's go take a walk, Miss Granger. I've much to tell you that I think might ease your mind. And I'm sure the ducks are hungry."

Hermione simply nodded, wondering how it was so that so much had changed that she'd now found herself being comforted by the presence of Bellatrix Black sitting beside her and the thought of a stroll through the gardens with her.

xxx

"I've seen how much you're a staple in my sister and nephew's life. As much as I didn't like it at first, I have come to terms with the fact that you're not so truly awful." Bellatrix attempted at a nudge of humor, glancing over at Hermione as they walked. She had grown used to the girl, and didn't despise her as she had expected she would. She wouldn't say she liked her, not at all, but still- she supposed they could have worse company. If she could even be called company anymore with living at the manor the last few weeks. 

Hermione smiled, meeting Bellatrix's glance with one of her own for a moment before chuckling, knowing that was the best compliment she'd get from the witch. 

"Thank you, Madam Black." She was surprised to hear her voice almost at a whisper, but reasoned that it did feel as if any louder a tone would upset the amicable aura that had settled between the two of them. 

Bellatrix nodded and led them on through the pathways of her sister's gardens. It had rained earlier in the day, and she enjoyed the dewy look of the plants. "Cissy told me how you helped Draco, too. Helped each other, I guess. You saved Narcissa from herself in that same sense. She'd be nothing if she lost him." 

Hermione hated talking about the suffering Draco went through, the torment Lucius caused for both him and his mother. She remembered the similar states they were both in at the time- blaming themselves for the wrongs committed against them and drowning under the weight of the guilt. She looked down at the path in front of her as Bellatrix spoke about it, not wanting to betray her emotions through her eyes. She didn't want Bellatrix to know it still affected her so much, didn't want the dark witch to think her weak. 

"I know what you think of me. But even with all the reasons you have to hate me, I can still offer advice and you can't say it isn't useful. I've lived through quite a lot. I've experienced firsthand Draco's demons and your own as well. Abusive fathers, abusive husbands, abusive lords. They're all no different." Bellatrix paused as they reached the duck pond, looking down at the creatures and staying silent for a moment. 

Hermione stood beside her, watching as the wind blew through Bellatrix's curls and put her features once again on display. She looked different out here, more raw, somehow. Hermione appreciated the woman's words, and found herself realizing the truth behind what she said. The woman really had suffered misfortunes of a lifetime again and again through her own life up to this point. 

"I don't hate you, Madam Black. I haven't the energy, or the desire to. Many of the people I thought were so good and right have proved me very wrong. And the same goes the other way. I believe we've all suffered enough without bringing hate back into it." She took a shaky breath, flinching slightly as she felt Bellatrix's hand on her forearm, tracing the whereabouts of her scar. 

"Many suffered more than they were due. More than enough." Dropping her hand, Bellatrix waved her wand to dry the furniture before sitting down, taking a scrap of bread from the pocket of her dress and rolling it between her fingers. "We devote ourselves to the people we love and what we think is right. You're right in knowing that what we think is right is often proven wrong and the people we love often disappoint us. But it's up to us how we let those things influence us. It all comes down to choices. We choose what we'll do going forward and we live with the consequences, good or bad. You and Draco- You have plenty of choices left to make. These things that have happened will not define who you turn out to be. We all know who is to blame, and it is neither of you, Miss Granger." 

She'd heard similar reassurances from others countless times, but the words had much more meaning coming from Bellatrix. Hermione had never even stopped to think that Bellatrix may regret her actions, or have been driven to certain choices in the face of all that was against her. She couldn't imagine where she would have ended up if she'd had to deal with things like the incidents with Ron over and over again in her life. The one occurrence had been enough to bring her life to a complete halt. 

"Thank you. It's nice to hear that from someone that really understands. I--" Hermione froze as she heard the yelling, her heart dropping into her stomach as she watched Bellatrix's features change from relaxed to immediately on guard. It was a quite a spectacle to witness, really. The other witch's black dress blowing in the wind as she stood from the table and her features darkened, ready to put an end to whatever it was that had caused her sister to wail out in such a way. The piece of bread dropped to the ground forgotten, the last testament to their previously peaceful afternoon.

"Granger." Bellatrix grasped Hermione's arm, pulling her out of her daze and out of her seat, leading her towards the manor and Narcissa's screams. "If it's him, get Draco and my sister and get the hell out of here. Do you understand?" 

Hermione nodded, forcing herself to breathe as Bellatrix pulled her along and she stayed close to her, finding quite quickly that there was no way she could let him hurt her loved ones again, not with the images flashing through her head now. Draco could be dead, for all she knew. She had no idea how Bellatrix seemed to remain so calm, though she could almost feel the fury coursing through her as she continued to pull her along.

"Cissy! Where the bloody hell are you!" Bellatrix yelled out across the gardens, looking desperately around until she spotted her in the distance. "Cissy!" She yelled again, keeping Hermione by her side as she ran for her sister.

Hermione assumed they spotted the blood at the same time, feeling Bellatrix's hold on her tighten considerably. With Narcissa's white jacket, it only became more and more evident as they got closer. 

Hermione clung to Bellatrix's arm when she saw her. It wasn't just the blood that set her off, but the lack of Draco standing beside his mother that sent Hermione into a new wave of panic. Bellatrix got the words out sooner than she'd even fully processed what his absence could mean, whimpering as she asked the question. 

"Cissy! Where's Draco?" 

xxx

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry! Reviews letting me know what you guys want to see inspire faster updates though, so let me know what you thought :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for the reviews! I'm going to try to reply to some tonight, I've finally relaxed into my routine for the summer and look forward to updating more often I hope. This was supposed to be just the first part of the chapter, but then it took me all day to get around to finishing it and I figured you might like to just go ahead and have it instead of waiting until I get more done. Maybe? Either way, enjoy :) 
> 
>  
> 
> TW: Blood
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.

Chapter 12

 

"You must stop him, Bella!" Narcissa cried out, her breathing uneven as she stumbled forward towards the women. "He wasn't making any sense. I tried to stop him, and... I tried to keep him from her. I don't know how they're past the wards. I don't know how they've done it. He was with me the whole time, Bella. And then, just.." The blonde shook her head as tears ran down her cheeks, mixing with blood as she attempted to wipe them away.

Hermione remained in her daze as Narcissa gave them her panicked explanation. She blinked, the seconds passing by slowly as she tried to force herself to think and took in the sight of Narcissa. The witch was faltering, her balance failing as she reached for her sister and fell against her. 

"Has he killed him?" Bellatrix asked before Narcissa could go on, releasing her hold on Hermione so she could support the weight of her sister. 

"No, no Bella. You don't understand, he--" Narcissa began, starting to try and push herself back upright. 

Ron may not have killed him yet, but Hermione would not chance another one of them being hurt on her behalf. First Bellatrix being struck down by his curse and now this, Narcissa coated in her own blood while Draco remained in danger if not already dead. She backed away slowly, holding her hand against her stomach to steady herself as she felt she may be sick. She would end it now, one way or another. She would give Ron what he wanted, leaving them behind if she had to. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if they were hurt any further.

"I'll find Draco and I'll put an end to Ron's madness. He wants me, to see me suffer. There's no reason we all must. I'm so sorry. I never meant to cause all of this." Hermione frowned as she pulled her wand from the holster on her arm, preparing herself to seek Ron out. 

"Don't be daft, Granger. Take Cissy and stop her bleeding. Send for help. I'll end this. You'll not be able to do what must be done." 

Hermione felt a chill run down her spine at the look on Bellatrix' face. She hadn't seen the witch look like that since the war, her eyes dark and her stance showing her determination to protect them. Hermione did admire how fiercely she looked after her family, even if it had led her down the paths it had. She had witnessed first hand the lengths Bellatrix would go to when she stepped in front of Draco and took the brute of the curse intended for him. The Bellatrix that Narcissa often spoke of, driven to great ends by her loyalty to those she loved before the dark truths came to light, revealing her devotion to be futile as they cast her aside and betrayed her, her purposes to them being served. Hermione knew it didn't excuse the witch's past, but she was still resolved to not add to the woman's grief. She wouldn't be the cause of more pain and loss for her. 

"Bella, no. You have to listen. You mustn't break the wards, they'll throw you back in Azkaban in a second." Narcissa tried to reason as she grew desperate while the other two bickered between themselves. She needed them to listen to her before either of them ran off and did something stupid. They didn't understand, and they wouldn't so long as they continued to worry over who would be allowed to sacrifice themselves for the others this time. Honestly, they were much too alike in that sense. It had always troubled Narcissa, their carelessness for their own well-beings. 

"Narcissa is right. And you said so yourself, you've suffered more than you were due. I'll take care of this. Please, just let me do it. I won't have any of you hurt again. This is my fault. He wants me. I'll go to him and he'll leave the rest of you alone. Narcissa is.." Hermione then found herself caught off guard for the second time that day by Narcissa's screaming. This time though, it was quite easy to see the cause as she berated the both of them. 

"Goddamnit, I swear I will rip your tongues from your mouths if you both do not hush this very instant and LISTEN to me! The Weasley boy didn't curse me. Draco did. He started talking about Hermione, spewing nonsense about having to rid us of her filth. I tried to make him see sense and he did this. He isn't himself. You'd both know that already if you weren't so busy having your heads stuck up your arses!" Narcissa steeled herself against the pain and pulled them both along, now somewhat back to her senses, adrenaline pumping through her veins. 

xxx

Stunned, Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. She'd never expected Ron to be so cunning. But really, it was the perfect end to her. Even Ron himself couldn't have realized just how well he'd drawn the trap. He knew that they'd never hurt Draco. And Hermione knew that even if they did stop him, the damage was already done. Draco would never forgive himself for hurting her, for hurting his mother. Hermione had spent so long reassuring him that he'd not end up like his father, for Ron to force his hand anyway.

She also knew then that Bellatrix was wrong. The anger coursing through her was nothing like anything she'd experienced before. Nothing like when she witnessed the deaths of her friends in the war, nothing like when she realized she would never see her parents again, nothing like the night Ron almost killed her. Dealing with the emotions she felt then had been walks in the park compared to how she felt now. She understood suddenly how the dark witch that was currently pulling her along towards the house had been able to do all the terrible things she had done, had been able to kill. Right now, she would destroy anything and anyone in her path to Ron. She would cast him down and let him feel her wrath in all its glory. No more would she keep her magic in check as she had done since the war, frightened by seeing the damage it could do.

She was only pulled out of her thoughts when she felt said witch's body pressed against her own, holding her against the wall of the main dining room. She gulped as she felt Bellatrix' hand reach around her jaw, effectively gaining her attention. She had no idea what was going on, though she knew if Ron had Imperiused Bellatrix to kill her she didn't stand a chance, suddenly no longer convinced the witch wouldn't do so of her own free will. The memories of the witch that had tortured her while they were in a similar position and the one that she had gotten to know better these past few weeks warring in her mind. 

"Granger." Bellatrix snarled, her nails digging into the soft skin of Hermione's cheek. "Don't you dare let him get inside your head too. You're playing right fucking into what he wants if you let yourself go stupid over it. We'll get to Weasel. And we will have his blood for this. But right now, we get Draco back to us before he hurts anyone else. He can resist it. I taught him this magic myself. We just have to get to him. Appeal to his senses. As long as the curse holds, they can't be far. But, I fear that.." 

Hermione and Bellatrix both glanced away as they heard the noise, Hermione jolting at the sound and noticing Narcissa out of sight. She stayed close to Bellatrix even as she released her, hurrying along with her towards the entrance hall. 

"Cissy!" Bellatrix went to her sister, a firm grip on Hermione's arm as she pulled the girl alongside her. "Cissa! Where is he?" 

Narcissa pointed ahead of them to Draco at her sister's question, her stare cold as she forced down her emotion upon seeing how Draco changed once he saw Hermione enter the room with them. He looked so much like his father. She couldn't help the memories flooding back to her of that day. She'd only just gotten her family back to her. She'd be damned if she was going to let anyone take that from her now. 

"Draco, love. Come back to us, my dragon. Remember your family now." Narcissa eased closer to her son until she heard Bellatrix call out to her, knowing she wouldn't be enough to help him back. 

"He's meant to kill the girl. She'll have to be the one to help him out of it. He'll lash out again if you stand in his way." Bellatrix warned as she inched around the room with Hermione in tow, still keeping herself in front of the younger witch with her wand raised despite her words, unafraid. Draco remained in a similar stance across the room, determination for blood evident in his features as he disregarded his mother's words. Bellatrix urged Hermione further behind her, trying to get them to the library. It'd be easier to fight the curse off if he could remember Hermione clearly, remember the time they spent together there. She'd trained him relentlessly through the war. He could fight this, she knew he could. 

"What have they done to you, Aunt Bella? You stand there and play guard? Risk Azkaban for the likes of her? Let me rid us of the filth. Just like you taught me. Let me make you and Mother proud now, where I couldn't in the war." Draco held his wand tight in his hand, his voice a monotonous drawl as he flinched slightly. 

Hermione could see it, the internal struggle between the implanted desires the curse placed on him and the real Draco. It was terrible to watch and even worse to hear. She knew the words weren't his own, but it was still one of her nightmares come to fruition before her eyes, Draco casting her out because of her blood. 

"Nonsense, my dear. Remember your training. Fight it. Find your own thoughts, your own desires. Cling to those instead of what it's saying you must do. You don't want to hurt Hermione. Free yourself." Bellatrix urged him further, trying to help him without provoking the curse. She finally had them moved enough to shove Hermione through the door to the library, taking the chance as soon as she could. She could see Draco growing restless, the curse fighting against him. She was ready for his retaliation, knowing he'd undoubtedly react when she thrust Hermione away from his view. 

Bellatrix cackled as she deflected the weak Confringo. "Now, now, love. Remember our training. You can't defeat me." 

"Perhaps not. But you can't break your wards. You can't keep me from her. I will.. I will kill her." He struggled with the words then, heading for the library as Bellatrix waited for him to enter first, trusting that Hermione would be ready. 

"Send for the aurors, Cissy. Quickly. It will be over soon, one way or another." She followed in behind him as her sister did as she instructed, eyes widening as she saw Hermione standing in the room, not far from where they had lounged barely an hour or two ago, her hands at her sides. "Raise your wand, girl!" Bellatrix yelled, catching Draco's attention for a moment, but still not getting through to her. 

Hermione shook her head, her hand clutching her wand but not lifting it. She wouldn't duel Draco. "No. Draco won't hurt me." She stood tall, her heart pounding as he fixed his stance. It was too late as Bellatrix rushed forward to stop him, inhaling sharply as Hermione slammed into a shelf of books. 

"Expulso!" Draco struck her once again, hearing her sputter as he drew his wand, starting to shake. 

Bellatrix gasped again as Draco turned on her, sending her hurtling backwards before he stepped forward and replaced his attention on Hermione.

"Please, Draco. You can stop this. I won't fight you. Kill me if you must, it's alright. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I've caused all this. End this, it will all go away." Hermione pleaded with him, she didn't care at this point. She just wanted to end his pain, seeing the struggle between curse and reality tearing him apart. She wouldn't let it go on any longer. 

"NO! No, I..." Draco shook his head as he fought to push the spell from its grasp on him. He thought back to Bellatrix' lessons. He remembered her words now. He would protect his family. His family, above all else. No curse, no war, no lord would destroy their family. They would make sure of it. Together. Hermione was his family. He didn't want to hurt her. He wouldn't. 

"Hermione. What have I done?" Draco faltered, coming back to himself with shaking hands as he looked down to Hermione once more, still slumped against the bookshelf. 

From across the room, Bellatrix's ears rang as a result from the curse, out of practice and still somewhat weak from her injuries. She saw Draco stumbling towards Hermione, wand still in hand. She had failed them. Let Draco get to her and ruin himself. She pushed herself unsteadily to her feet, unable to hear what was being said across the room. She would not let them make these mistakes, the same wrong choices she had. She would protect her family, all of them.

Grasping her wand, Bellatrix struck. Nothing deadly, but enough to put Draco out of commission. She couldn't hear the words they spoke, couldn't see that Draco had come away from the curse.

Hermione realized Bellatrix's intentions too late, shouting out for her to stop, but to no avail. She felt her chest constrict as Draco flew away, unconscious, and the alarms went off as Cissy rushed back into the room. She fought to stay awake, knowing she was losing too much blood from too many wounds. She barely registered the tears streaming down her face as the aurors rushed in behind Cissy. Her vision turned foggy as Narcissa came to a stop in the middle of the floor upon seeing the damage, her son lying slumped in the corner, Hermione bleeding out by the shelf, her sister being put back in chains as her wand fell to the floor. 

Hermione attempted to push herself up to her feet, to explain to the aurors what had happened. To keep Bellatrix from Azkaban. To console Narcissa and support Draco. Yet, the effort the action took was too much, seeing the blank look in both Bellatrix' and Narcissa's eyes, the aurors rushing to heal her wounds as her vision blurred to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I left quite a bit unanswered here, but I will be getting to everything soon. Like I said, this was just supposed to be the first part of a much longer chapter to keep from giving you guys too much of a cliffhanger, but I went ahead and let this be its own instead of making you wait awhile longer for another chapter. 
> 
> A review a day or two ago inspired me to go ahead and finish this part for you at least, so thanks to MoodyMuddy for the little burst of encouragement when I hadn't planned on writing more for a bit. I really do appreciate the reviews, I love hearing that people are actually enjoying the story. Let me know what you think or if there's anything you'd like to see and I'll try to make it happen. 
> 
> xoxo
> 
> sialasto


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My birthday's today so I've just been relaxing and thought I'd finish up the next chapter. I'm going to try to start posting once a week now, with updates on (hopefully) Wednesdays.

Chapter 13

 

Pain. Pain was the only thing one could ever count on. Everything she held dear could be ripped away in an instant, any sense of security gone, but pain would always creep its way back through her bones and settle in her heart. 

Only a small sliver of warmth remained as she blinked her eyes open, the pain ever present but the memories scattered for the time being. She took in her surroundings and wondered when St. Mungo's had updated their patient rooms. She hadn't been in since the night Ron had hurt her. Ron. With the thought of her old best friend, the cause of her situation came clearly to the forefront of her mind. Her heart pumped faster as she realized just what all had happened. She contemplated her own livelihood for a moment, but figured that the amount of pain she felt would surely only be possible in the land of the living. Still, that didn't mean her newfound family was still here with her. They weren't present in the room. She could see the outline of someone outside, but recognized the attire of a healer and pulled the flimsy blanket more tightly around herself. Was Narcissa dead? Was Draco? Was Bellatrix? She tried to pinpoint the last time she'd seen each of them, her breathing growing more faint as she recalled. 

Draco had hurt Narcissa. It had looked as if he sent a slash through her side, if she remembered correctly. The words were a blur after hearing that first scream in the gardens, but she could still clearly see the deep crimson stain spreading across Narcissa's white jacket as if it were happening again right in front of her. The stain bigger when Narcissa had rushed into the library after sending for the aurors, too late to stop the rest of the bloodshed of that day. 

She needed to see Draco. She needed him to know that she was alright. That all of this was her fault and her fault alone. She'd never forgive herself this time, not now when she knew what must be going through Draco's head. Lucius left much more of an imprint on him than the bruises and now faint scars. He would forever worry about resorting to violence and turning into the monsters he'd so often seen as a child. Hermione was convinced she had deserved the words he said to her while under the spell, his own or not. She was no good for their family, bringing grief with her wherever she went. 

She tried to remember what they'd done to Bellatrix, but the only image she could bring up of the witch was seeing her in the gardens before the day had turned to such shit. She seemed to belong there in that moment, like the wind had blown just right and the dew of the plants around her glistened just to reflect off her blowing curls. She'd seen Bellatrix in a new light then, somehow both softer and stronger than she'd ever seen her before. That was, before the screams of her sister stole her away from the moment and stole the small sliver of peace she'd managed to attain at the manor away from her.

They had cuffed her and kicked her wand aside. Hermione remembered the aurors, pulling her back from the scene so roughly, though she went with no fuss. Hermione could picture her now, back in rags and chained in a cell in Azkaban. The conditions would catch up with the witch quickly, given her still somewhat weak state from Ron's first attack. 

xxx

She couldn't just continue to lay here, not knowing what was going on or what had happened to them. She pulled herself up from her laying position, groaning at the exertion. Her head started to pound and she could tell the wounds on her chest were still far from healed. As much as it hurt, it did comfort her that hopefully she hadn't been asleep too long. 

She stumbled on the way to the door, overestimating her ability to make it out of the room without assistance. She had almost made when she heard the door creak and looked up, Harry gasping upon seeing her out of bed. 

"Mione! You're awake. What are you doing out of bed?" He rushed to her and looped an arm around her waist gently, helping her back to the bed. "You need your rest. Draco did quite a number on you."

Hermione stared coldly up at Harry at his words, pushing him away with what little strength she had. "Draco did not do this to me. Ron did this. Draco would never hurt me, Harry. He imperio'd him, he had no choice. You have to believe me, please." She near begged for him to understand, grasping his hand as tightly as she could, willing him to listen to her. She felt the tears start to well up and heard him sigh in defeat, fearing the worst as he hesitated. "Where are they, Harry? Are they dead? Did they find him?" 

Harry frowned at the question. He hadn't expected her up so soon. Her injuries were by far the worst out of all of them. She'd slept for three days straight. He figured it was for the best, though. They'd want to hear her side of the story before deciding what to do with Bellatrix. He'd kept the sentencing put off for now, but he couldn't keep the Ministry from sending the three prisoners to Azkaban to await trial. They wouldn't want the case dragged out too long, attracting more attention than they wanted to deal with.

"No one is dead. They put Lady Malfoy into care and she healed quickly. The blood loss was the worst of it. Draco didn't suffer any injuries other than a few bruises and cuts, but..." Harry sighed and patted Hermione's knee. He knew how much they all meant to her, even suspected that she'd probably grown a soft spot for Black. Hermione always knew best, it seemed, but he couldn't say he was fully disappointed in the turn of events. He hated to see her hurt, but he hadn't ever been comfortable with the idea of her staying there with the Malfoy matriarch and her lunatic murderess of a sister just down the hall. 

"He isn't speaking to anyone. Isn't speaking at all. He looks a fright, honestly. Narcissa's been a wreck over it, especially now that they've sent Black away. She splits her time, between your room and Draco's. She tried to get the healers to put you together but they wouldn't allow it." 

Hermione's heart sank as she heard the truth of what was going on. It wasn't what she feared, but she wondered if death would not be a better release than to go on like this for them. They'd welcomed her into their lives and home, and she had torn them apart. She'd leave their lives if she had to, if it was best for them, but she had to put this right first.

"They sent her back to Azkaban?" She knew that they most likely would, not caring if she had been acting in Hermione's defense or not. But.. if Draco wasn't speaking to anyone, he couldn't have told them that. If he even remembered the night correctly at all. She could only imagine what he was going through. She'd seen him come back to her, though. He fought the curse and won. 

Harry sat beside her on the bed, seeing just how frail Hermione looked in her gown and amongst the blankets. "I've gotten them to postpone the trial for now. Lady Malfoy said Black was only protecting you, but without Draco talking and with you still asleep, it didn't look good. But yes, she and the others are being held there until then."

"No, Harry, Narcissa was telling the truth. She only cursed Draco because she thought he was still going to kill me. She didn't know he'd fought off the Imperius, she thought Ron still had control of him. Harry, you have to get her out of there. This is all my fault." Hermione rushed the truth out at him, barely registering what he'd said at first. She couldn't believe all the destruction she had caused and all the lengths Ron had gone to. "You said others. What others are there?" She asked him, her brow furrowing as she tried to work through all the information, her head still pounding from all the sudden movements. "He was working with someone?"

Harry nodded and looked up as the door opened, Narcissa walking slowly inside, gulping as she saw Hermione up and awake. 

"Lady Malfoy. I was just getting her up to date on everything. I'll go, if you like." He trailed off as Narcissa shook her head and sat in the chair on the other side of Hermione's bed. 

She silently took Hermione's hand, kissing the top of it and then squeezing it reassuringly as she offered a soft smile. She didn't like being around Potter, but she was glad he was there to tell her everything so she didn't have to. She didn't want to have to explain all the details again. She'd lost her sister, and been so close to losing everything else with her. 

"Right, then. Malfoy Manor's wards are impregnable. Ron didn't make it past them. He got to be friends with an auror that had access to the estate though, through the rehabilitation program. He had an old feud with Madam Black, and was eager to help Ron in the chance that it'd get Madam Black thrown back into Azkaban. Ron intended to have Draco kill you and blame the murder on Black. Thankfully, things didn't go to plan. There's more fine details, but that's the gist of it. I'll let you two catch up."

Hermione nodded and tried to choke down her tears, weakly thanking Harry for telling her. Harry sighed once more and stood, not wanting to further intrude on her and Narcissa. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, patting her shoulder gently. "I'm working on everything the best I can. Hang in there, 'Mione. I'm here if you need me."

xxx

 

As soon as the door creaked shut, Hermione let the tears fall once again, looking to Narcissa as her chest heaved with sobs. She tried to speak, to apologize, but couldn't find the words. 

Narcissa shushed her and climbed onto the bed beside her. She knew how Hermione felt, having felt responsible herself for many of the decisions Bellatrix made so many years ago. She wouldn't have Hermione entertaining such thoughts. There was no fault here but with the two men that would now rot in Azkaban for the rest of their lives. She wished for this all to be over, for her dear Bella to be back with them and her son to be back to himself, for Hermione to let go of her guilt and for them all to hide away safely in the Manor. 

She wrapped her arms around Hermione and held her close, protecting her from the cruelty of the world around them. Things were never fair, but they would come through it. They always did. 

"I know, love. I know." She rocked Hermione gently back and forth as she held her, not used to the bold displays of comfort but finding solace in them. She'd always been told to keep her emotions in check - to cry was to defeat yourself, to give into your weaknesses and let them win. But she had seen what internalizing all that pain did to people, and she'd be damned if she was going to let the last people she cared about fall prey to themselves after battling so much and still coming out alive. 

So, she let Hermione cry onto her sleeve and she held her strong. They would sort everything else out soon enough. "We protect our family, love. A threat to one is a threat to us all. There is no blame to place on anyone other than the men they took away. Out of all the vile things my parents taught my sisters and I, they were right about at least one thing. Family endures. And we will, my dear."

xxx

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of a filler chapter, but I hope everyone still liked it. 
> 
> And just to address a comment last chapter, this is a slow burn. More romance-y stuff is still at least a few chapters out. That being said, it is coming and we'll have plenty more interactions before then.
> 
> Your reviews inspire me to write more, so let me know what you thought :) As always, I'll try to reply to as many as I can.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, but I've got a pretty long car ride tomorrow, so maybe I'll send out another chapter then if this one goes over well.

Chapter 14

 

Hermione had finally calmed down after a few minutes and fallen asleep with Narcissa close, feeling safe but exhausted. She woke up a few hours later, blinking sleep from her eyes as she saw Narcissa sitting in the chair beside her bed. 

The witch was asleep, looking not a bit worse for wear as she slumbered. Hermione wondered how she did it, always seemed to be so well put together without a single hair or thread out of place, even now. She knew, though, that as soon as Narcissa woke up the toll the last few days had taken on her would be visible, if only through her eyes. She could hide it everywhere else, but no makeup or magic would take away the pain Hermione could now recognize in the woman's features.

Hermione ached for her, for all of them. She tried to sit up again, but winced, causing a new ache settling in her as she saw Narcissa start to shift in the chair at the noise. 

Narcissa opened her eyes slowly, a frown settling across her face as she sighed and sat up straighter. She forced a smile across her face as she noticed Hermione awake as well, reaching out to pat her hand. "How did you sleep, dear?" 

Hermione winced again as she sat the rest of the way up, smiling back weakly. "Alright. I'm sorry I woke you." 

The potions had been working, her sleep had thankfully been dreamless. She hoped it had only been a nap, though. She had too much to do to spend so long sleeping. She would rest when this was over with, when they could all sleep easy at home, even though she knew very well that that day may never come with the memory of recent events looming over them. "How long did I sleep?" She asked, afraid she'd been out for awhile once more. 

"No need to apologize, I needed to be up too. It's only been a few hours. Near dusk now." She answered her, straightening her skirt as she resettled in the chair. "I need to go and check on Draco, dear. I'll be back by in a little while. I'll bring a snack, if you're awake." 

"Take me with you. To see Draco. Please, Narcissa, perhaps he'd speak to me." She wasn't above begging for the visit, she needed to see him. They'd helped each other to fight off the demons in their past once, and they would simply have to do it again now that they'd come to life once more. She hated knowing that he was suffering without her. She couldn't imagine the pain he felt from hurting those he loved, she knew it herself all too well. 

"I was hoping you would suggest it. If you're not up for it, though, I don't want you to feel that you must. I fear I'll accidentally push him away, like last time." She sat on the edge of Hermione's bed and took her hand. "Hermione. I know he fears his blood. After what his father turned to, I can't blame him. Seeing Bella during the war was no help, even if she did what she did for us. He has to know this wasn't his fault. And you must know it isn't yours, either. This kind of violence is rooted in some people's blood. Men like Lucius, and men like Weasley. But not Draco. And certainly not you. I refuse to let this tear us apart, of all things." She leaned forward, kissing Hermione's forehead and caressing her hair gently before standing. She hadn't wanted to push Hermione into seeing her son, but she didn't know what else to do for him. She'd never been good at emotional comfort. Andy had always been much better at that kind of thing. With Bella the brute of the three of them, Narcissa figured she fell somewhere in the middle, a more sensible but just as devoted protector of those she loved. 

Hermione sat quietly as Narcissa spoke, nodding at her words. Narcissa didn't often talk about her past, especially not anything pertaining to Lucius or her sister, and she'd never told Hermione much about any of it. She learned most of what she knew from Draco, and even he didn't know the whole of it. "Draco needs all of us, Narcissa. You never pushed him away. He'll need you now more than ever. He'll need all of us, however broken we may now be." She offered a soft smile as Narcissa nodded back and got the wheelchair from the corner of the room, bringing it over for Hermione to sit in.

"Come on then, we'll go to him." 

xxx

Hermione stopped Narcissa outside Draco's door, breathing shakily as she planted her feet on the ground. "I'll walk in. He doesn't need to see me like this. I'm fine, only weak." She reached for Narcissa's hand and found her footing, steadying herself before pushing open the door, letting go of Narcissa's assistance and walking inside. 

She felt her breath catch in her throat as she saw Draco. He had always been very pale. It wasn't a surprising trait, considering the fair skin of his parents and aunt that Hermione knew of. This was something different though, his skin had taken on an almost ghostly appearance. She hadn't seen him like this before, as if the life in him was lingering, not quite leaving but not quite fully there with him either. 

Hermione went to him and sat down on his bed, shaking with the effect of having to walk and then seeing Draco like this. She could only imagine what had happened the last few days. Narcissa being healed, Bellatrix being taken away, Draco ending up like this. "Draco. I'm here, Draco." She whispered, taking his hand carefully and laying her head on his shoulder, tears once again rolling down her cheeks. 

Draco watched Hermione as if she would disappear in a second, taking her hand weakly as she laid down with him. Draco had been struggling day in and day out with himself, wondering if he'd killed Hermione or Bellatrix and his mother had only been telling him otherwise to keep him sane. 

Narcissa sat in the chair beside the bed and watched the exchange carefully, hoping that Hermione would break through to him. She knew seeing Hermione would be good for him, especially if Potter was right and really needed his testimony for Bellatrix to return to them. 

Draco sighed softly as he realized Hermione was really there, was really alive and actually there with him. He cried with her, wiping her tears as his own fell. "Hermione. I'm--" His voice cracked as he said her name, about to go on with more before Hermione shushed him gently.

"I know, Draco. So am I. I'm here, though. So sleep. We'll deal with everything in the morning." She smiled softly and squeezed his hand, glad to know he was still with her, at least somewhat. She hadn't expected much from him, and she was happy with the few words, even if he was trying to apologize. 

Narcissa sat beside the bed and watched the exchange, sighing at hearing her son's voice once again. She sat, contented for a moment until they heard the knock at the door. She turned slightly in her seat, calling to them to come in.

 

xxx

Harry entered the room a bit frantically, especially taken aback once he saw Hermione present with the Malfoys. He hadn't planned on making a visit so late, but with the news he'd received he figured he needed to do all he could to prepare Hermione and Draco for the next day. 

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but this can't wait. I've been at the office and they've made some decisions. It seems I've deterred their ruling for as long as I can." Harry explained, making his way further into the room. He hated having to deliver the news, hated seeing them all hanging on his every last word as he was forced to explain that he'd not be able to help them any longer, at least not with Bellatrix. 

"They've moved the trial to tomorrow morning. They'll decide Ron's fate and that of the ex-auror that helped him. They'll also decide what to do with Madam Black. We're all to be there, no exceptions. Because Hermione and Draco both have their physical health back, they've said they don't want to wait around any longer and draw more attention to the case. I tried to stall them, but they wouldn't have it. You'll all be expected to testify. They may want to see everyone's memories. They'll at least want yours, Mione. I'm sorry it's all happening so soon."

Hermione felt her heart drop at his words. Dealing with the trial was next on her list, but getting through to Draco would take much longer than just the night. They both still needed to rest, after all. 

"I have to get back and help finalize the transfers. But I'll be by in the morning to collect everyone. Trial is set for 8 am, so we'll want to get to the Ministry by 7. Try to work through as much as you can and let me know if you need anything before then." Harry sighed and went to Hermione's side, leaning down to hug her gently before turning to leave.

Hermione could see the tired droop of his shoulders as he came to her, reaching out to him and squeezing his arm as he stooped down. "Thank you, Harry. For everything. I know you're doing all you can." 

Narcissa sighed in relief even as her anxiety started to plague her once more. She knew the toll the fresh visit to Azkaban would have on her sister, and she feared that if she were to be made to stay much longer, she wouldn't have much of her sister left. Her sanity had been too nearly taken from her the last time. She nodded her thanks to Harry as he left, thankful for the news.

xxx

Narcissa stood once Harry was gone, her hand pressed to her middle to steady herself. "You both know what this means. We will have to pull ourselves together for Bella's sake. When she is back safe with us, we will fall apart as need be, away from prying eyes in the Manor. But until then, we must relay the truth of what happened to the Ministry and get her back. I will not have her back rotting in chains. I have some... matters to tend to before the morning. I'll be back as soon as I can." She went to them, laying her hand against Draco's forehead and taking Hermione's hand in her other. 

"You will see, one day, how strong these things make you. I'm not certain it's worth it, but we shall see. Let's focus on protecting the family. That job is never done." She pressed a kiss to her son's cheek and then to Hermione's, squeezing their hands before going, grabbing her jacket from the chair beside Draco's bed before leaving.

xxx

"Where do you think she's going?" Hermione asked softly, used to Narcissa's strange comings and goings but wondering what she might be doing in light of the impending trial.

Draco shrugged softly and sighed, "Mother has plenty of contacts. Probably trying to check in on Aunt Bella. Or hear what sentences they're leaning toward. She'll never forgive me if they put her away again. It's all my fault. I should have been able to fight against it from the start. Bella trained me relentlessly during the war. I hurt Mother, nearly killed you. And sent Bellatrix back to Azkaban. I'm no better than him, now. Ended up just the same." His voice broke again, both from the lack of use over the past few days and from the toll the conversation had on him.

"You know that isn't true, Draco." Her chest ached for him. She knew who was truly at fault. She was the one that held the blame here. And yet, he was taking all the guilt for himself. "Ron used you to hurt me. This is exactly what he wanted. To get you all to betray me, or be hurt because of me. To bring my nightmares to life right before my eyes and to break each one of us, at least in some way." 

Hermione wrapped her arms around Draco and hugged him tightly, thinking back to all the times they'd comforted each other from the wraths of the same demons, something that now seemed like ages ago. Their histories coming back to repeat themselves causing them to settle back into the same old habits. "You are not your father, Draco. You are so much kinder, so much braver. Ron hurt Narcissa. And Ron hurt me. And it's my fault alone that he used your family to get to me. I should have been at home, where I'd have been the only one for him to get to." She whispered, laying her head on his shoulder. 

"/Our/ family, Mione. And you were home. If you'd been alone, he'd have killed you. But I don't want to talk about it anymore, not right now. We have the trial to think about. We can speculate all our deaths at home once this is all over, like Mother said." He rubbed his eyes and sat up slightly in bed. "Do you think they'll send Bella back to Azkaban, for good?" 

Hermione could see the guilt in his eyes at the question, knowing he was right in that they needed to think about the trial. Neither of them could really do much more than offer their perspective on what happened. The rest would be up to the Wizengamot. "I don't know, Draco. She had to break the wards to cast the curse that knocked you out. The rules state that if the wards are broken then it's back to Azkaban. But they don't mention exceptional circumstances, of course." She didn't want to mention that Madam Black had saved her life, that Draco really would have been compelled to carry out Ron's will and kill her had he not been able to break out of the spell. 

It really went to show just how powerful the dark witch still was. She'd just been hit with one of Draco's curses as well when she forced through the suffocation of her magic to keep her nephew from doing any more damage. Hermione wondered what Bellatrix' motives were. Surely the witch didn't actually care for her enough to risk Azkaban to keep her safe. 

Another thing that was her fault. She couldn't bring herself to hurt Draco, to stop his attack and save them both. Some part of her felt that she deserved the pain the spell made him deliver, paralyzing her reflexes to stop his onset of curses. Bellatrix gave herself up to be the one to stop him instead, costing herself much more than Hermione suffered. She supposed, though, that Bellatrix was only thinking of Draco. She didn't know that Draco had pulled himself out of the curse. And she knew firsthand what murdering did to someone, had to know Draco wouldn't be able to live with the guilt, so she took the consequences for herself. 

Either way, Hermione couldn't believe the mess she'd caused. So much destruction and pain, a direct result of her ignorance. It seemed that no one that cared for her would stay a stranger to misery for long. 

"They'll listen to you. You'll tell them what happened and they'll listen. You're the beloved heroine of war's golden trio, they have to. Once you say she's been better and only did it to stop me. They'll send her home with us." Draco wasn't sure if he was trying to comfort himself or Hermione with his words, but they hung weakly in the air either way. 

"I do hope so, Draco." She smiled softly back to him and pulled the blankets on the bed up over them both comfortably. "We need to sleep, though. We can worry more about the trial and getting them to release Madam Black in the morning." 

"You're right. They'll release her, Mione. And they'll send Weasley to die." He smiled at the thought, letting his eyes drift closed as sleep came to take him. 

xxx

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed it. More Bellamione interaction next chapter, but I hope you liked Hermione getting to bond more with the rest of her new family too :) Let me know what you thought!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, I've been super busy. Enjoy the new chapter though, and let me know what you think!

Chapter 15

Hermione woke to the sound of whispers across the room, looking up groggily from her place beside Draco on the bed. She squinted, making out Narcissa in a dark green dress and Harry standing beside her in his nice auror robes. They seemed to be talking about something urgent, so Hermione tried to listen, but her winces at moving her freshly healed muscles both drew their attention and caused Draco to stir beside her. 

"Good, dears. You're up. We've got about an hour before we need to leave. I brought clothes for you both from the Manor. Mr. Potter and I were just discussing the arrangements at the Ministry. Bellatrix seems not to be cooperating, unsurprisingly." Narcissa rubbed her temple, wishing for her sister to make things easy on them, for once. At this point, she wondered what her sister got out of always taunting Death.

Hermione smiled softly at that and slipped out of Draco's bed and to her feet, grasping the chair for support as she went for the garment bag, unzipping it and raising an eyebrow as she looked inside. "Narcissa? Are we really supposed to dress so nice for this? I normally only wear this for work events. And even then, it's been awhile since I went to one of those." She asked, holding out her fitted, but elegant dress suit that was in the bag and then pressing it against her front. She wasn't even sure if it would still fit her now. 

"Is that really a question? I won't have any of us going in there in our everyday wear, in front of the whole Wizengamot. We will present as the esteemed family we are, even through this. The suit will work nicely until we can have plenty more made once we've had my dressmaker take your measurements." She said simply and walked over to Draco's bag as well, handing it over to him. She stopped beside Hermione and patted her shoulder. "I'll have them bring something else if you're not comfortable, dear. It's just...it helps me. When we're well put together." 

Hermione shook her head and smiled back to her. "It's no problem, it just surprised me, is all. I understand. As long as it still fits, I'll wear it. Whatever helps. I'll head back to my room and change and meet you and the boys in the hall in a few minutes?" She finalized, heading out when she got the nod of approval from Narcissa and another from Draco after glancing in his direction. 

She headed into her room with Harry waiting in the hall, slowly pulling on the all black dress suit, surprised to find the blouse a bit baggy. She figured she'd thinned out a bit over all the stress with Ron and while in the hospital, the healing magic definitely draining her the last few days. She finished up with the rest and cast a simple fitting charm, the fabric cinching to fit to her small frame. She tied her hair up in a simple bun, too tired to worry about the few curls that fell around her face. 

Hermione met the others back in the hall and went to Draco's side, looping her arm through his outstretched one as they headed for the floo. 

xxx

"How dare you even keep me here! You have absolutely no right! This whole upheaval has been a fucking mess since the beginning. I agreed to all your terms, saying I'd play nice and be good upon my release. And then I go and do exactly as we all agreed and you drag me back here again. Did I not save the girl? Would you have rather me let her die?" 

Hermione heard an almost collective sigh from the room as Bellatrix bellowed out against their claims. She would offer her memories for view and they would see she was telling the truth. Bellatrix never would have hurt Draco had it not been in his best interest, as odd as that was. It wasn't like she really harmed him, anyways. She may have even saved his life, in some ways, had he not already broken out of the curse. 

"Madam Black. Your actions clearly violated the contract regarding your housing at Malfoy Manor. To continue to qualify for the rehabilitation program, your actions must be ruled to have been unavoidable. Upon decision that you were indeed preventing further harm to Miss Granger, you will be allowed to return to Malfoy Manor and continue participation in the program. If decided otherwise, you will return to Azkaban for life, ineligible for any terms of release in the future." The Chief Warlock spoke plainly as he addressed Bellatrix, but Hermione noticed even he seemed to be flustered with her screaming. "You do understand, Madam Black, why we must take these matters very seriously?" 

Bellatrix rolled her eyes and huffed at his words. She caught sight of her sister and nephew sitting with Hermione and the Potter boy and looked them over. Of course Narcissa had them dressed to the nines, even Granger looked halfway decent. Focusing back on the jury, she continued. "You have the real criminals here. Weasley and his sidekick! So no, I do not understand, why you prosecute me when I did your jobs for you in protecting her!" 

"Very well. We have your rendition of events. We will bring to stand the witnesses and make our judgement." The old wizard looked back down at the list of witnesses and waved his hand at the guards on either side of the room. "You may take her away." 

"Draco Malfoy. Please come to stand." The guards took Bellatrix away as Draco stood, Bellatrix brushing them off as much as she could as they took her to sit back in holding, a small area in the back of the room where Ron and the ex-auror sat, allowed to watch the trial from there as a few aurors stood guard around them, their magic heavily warded.

"Mr. Malfoy. Your claims of being under the Imperius curse while harming Lady Malfoy, Miss Granger, and Madam Black have been substantiated. You will, of course, face no charges. That being said, we must be sure that your aunt, Madam Black, acted only in the best interest of you and Miss Granger when breaking the wards in place at the Manor. Answering these questions to the best of your ability will help the jury to better understand the events that took place so that the sentences we pass are just. Do you understand?" 

Draco heard what the old wizard was saying, but could hardly focus as he tried to calm himself down. He felt queasy at being back here, remembering the trials of the war and his father's most recent one. "I understand." 

"Very well. To begin, what is the last thing you remember of that day? Before you were put under the control of the Imperius curse."

Draco nodded at the question, wiping his palms discreetly against his pants, knowing his mother didn't like to see any of them up here, especially not looking guilty. "My mother and I had been shopping and then went to lunch. The last thing I remember is returning home. We'd just left the apparition point and were heading back to the Manor. My memories become cloudy after that."

"Yes, and you did not notice anything out of the ordinary upon arriving home that day or during your outing with Lady Malfoy? You do not remember seeing either Mr. Weasley or his accomplice, Mr. Asbury?" 

"No, your Honor." Draco replied simply. He hated he couldn’t be of more help, but knew his memories were of little use to them, as they would be clouded still with the effects of the curse. 

Nodding his head, the Chief Warlock continued with questions, asking Draco about Bellatrix' behavior while at the Manor the last few months. Hermione was impressed at his ability to stay calm while answering the questions. Though with his past, it made sense that he'd be accustomed to doing so. Still, he'd just started speaking again the day before, it had to be torture for him to listen to the events recounted again and again. 

"That will be all, thank you. You may take your seat. Next to the stand will be Miss Hermione Granger." 

Hermione took a deep breath to steady herself as she went to the stand, meeting Narcissa's gaze and noticing the very slight nod of her head in encouragement. 

"Miss Granger. For you, we have deemed it necessary to ask for your memories regarding the event. From the moment Lady Malfoy arrived home with Mr. Malfoy to the time immediately before you lost consciousness. Will you comply, Miss Granger, and provide these memories, unaltered?" 

"Of course, your Honor." Hermione nodded, having been prepared for that much. She'd not, though, expected them to bring up so much from their pasts as she heard the next question.

"It is the court's understanding that you suffered injuries from the hand of Madam Black during the war. Torture from the unforgiveable Cruciatus curse among other things. Is this true, Miss Granger?" 

"It is." Hermione gulped after forcing out the words. She hadn't talked about it. Not with the boys when it happened, not with Draco, not with Narcissa. The most she'd acknowledged it was the same day everything happened, with Bellatrix in the gardens. After her extensive research trying to get rid of it and finding that it couldn't be removed, she had grown to live with it. 

She nodded then, answering in the affirmative once again when he asked her if she had been residing at Malfoy Manor.

"And since this time, Madam Black has suffered an attack at your workplace? An attack that was instead meant for your coworker, Draco Malfoy?" 

"Yes, your Honor. They say the curse would have killed him. But as it was, Madam Black intercepted the attack, to protect Draco." 

"Yes. To protect her nephew, Mr. Malfoy. And with the recent attack, Madam Black was simply doing the same? Protecting not Mr. Malfoy though, but you, Ms. Granger? Would you not say that these actions were somewhat uncharacteristic of Madam Black, to protect someone outside of her family? To protect the muggleborn witch that she once had no trouble harming? At the risk of going back to Azkaban?" 

"I have seen firsthand how drastically people can change, your Honor. I cared for Ron once, and yet we're here today because he has tried multiple times to kill me. Madam Black once hurt me, yes, but I've seen the progress she's made the last few months, both as her assigned healer after the accident and while a guest at Malfoy Manor. Even if that wasn't the case, she was protecting Draco as much as she was saving me. Protecting him from having to live with the emotional repercussions of killing. Something I'm sure Madam Black knows all too well. To protect her family, as you alluded to, is not uncharacteristic at all." Hermione bristled in her seat as she finished speaking. They would look at her memories and see that she was telling the truth. It was clear to see that Bellatrix had only been acting in defense, right? She couldn't let them send her back to Azkaban because she'd be unable to raise her own wand against Draco.

"Of course, Miss Granger. Moving on, we have a few questions about you and Mr. Weasley." 

Hermione nodded her understanding, chancing a glance up at the holding area and feeling a chill run down her spine upon seeing him. He looked awful, a shell of what he once was. His hair grown out and his clothes old and battered, she wondered how they'd gotten to this point. 

She answered the simple questions about whether or not Ron had attempted to contact her and sighed softly as the questioning was finally over. She felt tension leave her shoulders as she breathed, glad that Narcissa had made her dress so nicely as she noticed the gazes of the council all on her. She got up at the dismissal from the Chief Warlock and went to provide her memories, freezing as she heard his voice. 

"I should have seen from the beginning what a worthless mudblood you are! Let the fucking Death Eaters enjoy my sloppy seconds, you dumb cunt! You'll pay for this!" 

Hermione noticed Bellatrix starting to lunge for Ron before the aurors grabbed him, silencing him as both Narcissa and the Chief Warlock stood, each of them seeming ready to tear into him.

"Enough! Take him away! Take them all away!" He banged his gavel against the wood of the podium, his voice echoing out in the room. 

She noticed Narcissa's expression a forced neutral as she smoothed out her dress and retook her seat beside Draco. 

"You are all dismissed. Ms. Granger's memories will be reviewed and sentences decided. The hearing will recommence at precisely 3 o'clock this afternoon." With another bang of his gavel, the wizard swept from his seat and somewhat angrily left the room as the council started to talk amongst themselves, waiting for the room to clear out. 

Hermione finished up and then went back to the others, accepting the hug from Harry before he went off to check in with the other aurors. She found Draco and Narcissa and stayed close to them, still feeling uneasy even just knowing Ron was close by, shaking slightly after his lashing out at her in front of everyone. Logically, she knew she was in no danger here. Her gut told her otherwise. It wasn't something she could help, especially not when the collective anxiety between the three of them was practically palpable as they left for lunch.

Narcissa wrapped an arm supportively around Hermione's back. "Don't listen to a word he says. He's a coward, afraid of the consequences of his actions that he now must face. He will get what he deserves." 

Hermione nodded shakily and wiped at her eyes, trying to stay strong but the day was taking quite the toll on her. She found herself reliving that day over and over again, Ron saying similar things to her but when she didn't have the protection of the courtroom. The things he had done, both then and now, made her sicker than almost anything had in the war. 

"You've both done well. We have just enough time for lunch before the sentences. And I do believe things will work out." Narcissa's words sounded stiff, even as she tried to comfort them. She felt herself wearing thin. She wanted to take her family and go home, to cast their enemies down and return safely to the Manor. She'd talked to a few old friends the night before, knowing that Weasley would be sent away, no doubt, but also knowing her sister's fate rested mostly upon what the council found to be true from Hermione's memories. She only hoped that Bellatrix hadn't damned herself, and that it was clear to see from what Hermione could offer them.

Draco had retreated back into himself as they left the room, feeling sick to his stomach after hearing Ron's foul words and thinking again about what he'd done to Hermione, causing her to take his hand in her own and squeeze it reassuringly once she noticed his behavior. "Draco. We're almost done. Just a few more hours and we can go back home."

Draco squeezed her hand back but otherwise stayed silent until lunch was over, none of them up for making small talk. 

xxx

The couple of hours passed by slowly. It seemed anywhere Hermione went, either in the restaurant and café they visited or in the Ministry upon arriving back, she simply couldn't escape the chatter surrounding the case. This was part of the reason she'd not reported Ron the first time. She could deal with the attention from the war, but something like this was different. The pity she could feel seeping through the looks and glances she was getting all day was draining her, make the time drag by even more so. 

Finally they ended up back in the courtroom, Hermione sitting between Narcissa and Draco and holding Draco's hand reassuringly. At this point, she didn't care much for what they sentenced Ron to as long as it would take him out of their lives. But she knew that Bellatrix' sentencing would affect all of them more greatly. There would be too much blame and guilt to sift through if she were put away again, not to mention the effect her absence would have on Narcissa. And Hermione would be lying if she said she hadn't come to somewhat appreciate the dark witch's presence in the Manor. While she didn't necessarily like her, she could see herself missing her if she were gone, especially when it would be her own doing.

The Chief Warlock demanded the attention of the room not long after and Hermione looked up expectantly, squeezing Draco's hand more firmly. She'd meant to comfort him with the touch, but found herself relying on it more than she had thought she would.

They brought Mr. Asbury to the stand first, sentencing him quickly to life in Azkaban. Hermione barely paid attention as they took him away screaming, instead focusing on Ron who was brought next to the stand, still spitting profanities and slurs at her. She kept eye contact with him, wanting to look away but finding herself unable to. She would think back to this moment to remember the true Ron and his true nature that had only come to light after it was too late, to keep herself from ever pitying him. 

The room was quiet after the aurors silenced Ron so his sentence could be read. Hermione felt a weight lift off her shoulders as she heard the words. He would be gone, gone for the rest of their lives rotting in Azkaban where he belonged. She knew one day he could be released with the same program Bellatrix was a part of, but even that didn't bother her now, knowing that they'd at least get to sleep without worry of him hurting them tonight. She sighed softly in relief as she watched him exit from their view, her last time to have to see him, ever. 

She only relished in the comfort of seeing him go for a moment before they called Bellatrix to the stand. She felt different with Bellatrix up there, hoping they would have seen the truth in her memories. She felt her palms start to get clammy, though she did admire the calm, almost bored look Bellatrix wore even now. She supposed it ran in the family, as Narcissa sported the same nonchalant expression beside her. 

Bellatrix sat at the attention of the Chief Warlock and the jury, radiating an energy of disinterest even as he recalled the reason for her hearing.

"Well, dearie, what will you do with me?" She called out, earning a less than amused look from practically everyone in the room.

The Chief Warlock sighed before continuing, clearing his throat and keeping the attention of the room as he read the decision.

"Madam Black. We have reviewed the memories of Ms. Granger and have come to the conclusion that you did, in this instance, employ the use of curses off-limits to you in such a way only to ensure the safety of said witch. With this conclusion and based on your compliance thus far with the rules set in place for you while participating in the rehabilitation program, we grant you full reinstatement within the program, effective immediately. Ms. Granger will remain your assigned healer and will act as the Ministry nonrelative needed to assess your progress and ability to advance in the program. Is this understood, Madam Black?" 

Hermione could feel a stray tear leave her eye as she heard him announce Bellatrix would be able to go back home with them. She'd been so relieved at hearing the words she failed to catch Bellatrix' sarcastic remark regarding the waste it had been to keep her there. She could feel the tension leave Draco and Narcissa on either side of her, knowing they probably had the same fears she did about what would have been left of them had Bellatrix been sent away again. 

Narcissa stood once the proceedings were over and went to sign her sister out of Ministry holding, leading her somewhere away from the prying eyes of the others in the court room and more importantly, the press. With Harry serving as their auror escort, he accompanied them to the floo point and watched as they went through, hugging Hermione tightly before letting her go on as well. There was nothing either of them needed to say now, not urgently, as least. 

She let him go and walked through, back to where she felt she belonged, back home. She knew they were all drained. Narcissa's rule for their presentations to be flawless only applied in public. They saved their fits of anger and sadness and their breakdowns for when they were safely tucked away in the Manor away from prying eyes. And now that they were back tucked away in the Manor, the breakdowns came.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading and sticking with the story! I appreciate the reviews more than you know :)


End file.
